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CHILD TRAINING 




HABIT DRILL 
"Untangling a Snarl" — Training in patience, persistence, attention, etc. 



CHILD TRAINING 



A SYSTEM OF EDUCATION FOR 
THE CHILD UNDER SCHOOL AGE 



5 BY 

v; m: hillyer 

HEAD MASTER OF CALVERT SCHOOL 




NEW YORK 
THE CENTURY CO. 

1915 



L"B\\\s 



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Copyright, 191 5. by 
The Century Co. 



Published, January, 1915 



JAN 26 1915 



^CI,a'393417 



TO 
THE MEMORY OF 

R. K. H. 



PREFACE 

This book sets forth a system of training for a 
child under school age and lays out a course of lessons 
and drills that can be given a class or an individual 
by either the trained or the untrained teacher or par- 
ent. 

It may recall the principles or theories of Come- 
nius, Locke, Rousseau, Pestalozzi, Herbart, Froebel, 
James and others, but its practical applications are the 
result of many years' specializing in the education of 
young children. 

It aims to avoid the faults so common in child 
training — sentimentality, effeminacy, emotionalism, 
mysticism, license under the guise of freedom, exag- 
geration of the unimportant or trivial, the attaching 
of imaginary value to the symbolic. 

It emphasizes Drill and the Formation of Habits, 
the Cultivation of Qualities and Development of 
Powers by Drill. It aims to produce children who 
will be more observant and attentive, with more orig- 
inality, more initiative and sharper wits, who will think 
and act more quickly, be better informed and more 
accomplished, more skilful with their hand's, more 
courteous and considerate of others, and above all, 

vii 



Preface 

healthier animals. It should furthermore have a re- 
active effect on the teacher or parent who gives the 
course, instilling similar habits and qualities or re- 
newing those obliterated by disuse and neglect. 



vni 



INTRODUCTION 

Success, mediocrity, or failure in life is usually 
due to only slight differences in education or charac- 
ter, not to any remarkable or notable variation. Just 
a little more of this quality or just a little less of 
that and we have individuals between whom there is 
a wide gulf financially, politically or socially. The 
ten dollar a week bookkeeper and the thousand dollar 
a week railroad president may have precisely the same 
preliminary education and display personally very 
similar characteristics. Both can read and write, 
both can spell, both can figure and it would be pretty 
safe to say that in these fundamentals the bookkeeper 
could do as well if not better than the railroad presi- 
dent. The thing that does differentiate the one from 
the other it may be difficult to isolate and name — 
still more difficult to measure, but it will be found in 
some physical or mental power or ability — not in any 
school acquirement or information. One man's su- 
perior success may be attributable to his initiative, per- 
sistence or industry, another's to his critical attitude 
of mind or to his dependability, while still another's 
is due merely to a cordial manner, or to his ability to 
say " no " to himself and to others. 

ix 



Introduction 

And yet in elementary education we set such great 
store by reading and writing which all children must 
learn and do learn nowadays, which are essential for 
one to have like air and water, but no credit to have 
from the very fact that everybody has them. It is 
no credit to a man that he can sign his own name 
but a disgrace if he has to make " his mark." 
Whether a child learns to read at four or eight, in a 
month or a year, whether he is taught by the Pho- 
netic, Synthetic, Analytic or any other method is of 
little consequence; he will now learn to read eventu- 
ally and in good time in any civilized community — 
but whether he observes accurately, has self confi- 
dence, the habit of initiative, an analytical mind, is 
skilful with his hands, can think and act quickly, is 
courteous and thoughtful of others — are things he 
may never acquire unless by direct drill and things 
which will be the ultimate deciding factors between 
his future success, mediocrity or failure. These hab- 
its and qualities should, therefore, not be inciden- 
tals in education — they are the things that should be 
done, while other things such as the three R's should 
not be left undone. 

It is all right to postpone reading and writing 
till the child is six or seven or even older, but the 
numberless qualities and habits that go to make up 
character should be started with the start of life. 
The first seven years are the most important of all 

X 



Introduction 

In setting this bias, for life's route is one of a num- 
ber of divergent roads. If the child takes the wrong 
one at the outset, each step along that road carries 
him farther and farther away from the right one 
and by the time he is seven he is so far along, that 
to get on the right road either he must retrace all his 
steps and start anew, falling hopelessly behind in life's 
race by this doubling on his course, or else he must 
cut across country with the fair prospect of losing 
the way entirely, getting on still another wrong road 
or never finding the right one at all. For example, 
a child who has had his own way, or pretty nearly 
his own way, from infancy till the age of seven, is 
so far along on the wrong road that it is almost a 
hopeless task to set him back and have him start on 
the right road of obedience. It follows, therefore, 
that to let the child " run wild " those first years is 
either criminal neglect or incompetence. The parent 
that does so is either lazy or ignorant, or more often 
both. Parents, as a rule, are sentimentally optimis- 
tic — " Oh, it will come out right in the end," they 
say. It may and we pray the good angel that watches 
over children that it may, but if left to chance it is 
not likely to do so. 

Every normal mother wishes her child to be a bet- 
ter and wiser man than any she has known; she has 
visions of greatness for him, a career as " doctor, 
lawyer, merchant, chief," she dreams dreams and 

xi 



Introduction 

plans for him a future in which he figures as a superla- 
tive character. More often than not, however, dream- 
ing is as far as the matter goes whereas only effort 
will make such dreams come true. 

For the first two or three years the mother is al- 
most exclusively occupied, and properly so, with the 
child's feeding, personal hygiene and physical care, 
though it is a common experience to receive letters 
appealing for educational help even at this period. 
Up to this time she has had recourse to treatises on 
infant feeding and care and these have furnished all 
the information and instruction necessary beyond that 
which maternal instinct, very strong at this period, 
has supplied. 

By the age of three or four, however, the child 
has learned to speak and has usually been instructed 
by the doting mother and a proud father in the choice 
of certain words and expressions, taught to count 
his fingers, to tell his right from his left hand, to 
speak " pieces " and to sing some songs for exhibition 
purposes. About this time, however, the mother be- 
gins to feel the need of educational help and advice. 
The child must be doing something, his intellectual 
life demands attention and the appeal is strong for a 
systematic course of training that will direct his na- 
tive wits into worth-while channels, develop his men- 
tal side and educate him-. 

But the mother is at a loss to whom or to what to 
xii 



Introduction 

turn. Against the methods and courses known to her 
she may have well founded prejudice. They may be 
too metaphysical, symbolical, not concrete enough for 
specific application. The objects aimed at may seem 
too mystical and elusive for the common sense, even 
prosy child of every day life. It is usually a better 
working basis to consider the child a " chip of the 
old block" than "a manifestation of the divine" or 
" a part of the infinite." 

Furthermore, the information acquired may be en- 
tirely too abstract and remote from child nature. 
Cylinders and prisms have no importance or interest 
for the child as geometrical solids nor otherwise than 
building blocks. A knowledge of their names, proper- 
ties and relation is not to be compared in either interest 
or value to that which horses, cows, butterflies or 
steam engines possess for a child. 

Or the education may not be well rounded and com- 
prehensive — only special features may be empha- 
sized or only a few phases of the child's life be pro- 
vided for. 

Again, the education may seem to teach the child 
merely to play and the mother may not see the ad- 
vantage or the object of such training. She is told 
that his plays and games, and other occupations make 
him more this or that, or the other thing, but she can- 
not see the results and they seem to her more or less 
mythical. 

xiii 



Introduction 

Moreover, elementary training has not given suffi- 
cient weight or regard to sex differences. The educa- 
tion that is suitable for the girl is too feminine for 
the normal father's son. Sex characteristics are clearly 
marked as early as three years of age, and what is 
suitable and appeals to girls is unsuitable and even 
repulsive to the normal boy. Not to regard such sex 
distinction tends to make amorphous individuals and 
there is even danger of sex perversion. The boy who 
likes to play with dolls or at being a mother bird is an 
anomaly that should not be encouraged. 

Therefore, to the average mother skeptical of such 
training, elementary education means reading and 
writing and perhaps some figuring, and so she sets to 
work to teach the child his A, B, C's long before such 
knowledge possesses any value for him, and little or 
no attention is paid to the many and varied other sides 
of the child's development and instruction. 

The following system of " child training " is there- 
fore offered in the hope that it may help the mother 
in realizing the high ideals she cherishes in her breast. 
Though the course is primarily intended for the child 
under school age, it may be acquired by a child of any 
age and should be so acquired if it has not already 
been. 

Its most important feature is the Formation of 
Habits, physical, mental and moral; the Cultivation 
of D'esirable Qualities and the Development of Powers 

xiv 



Introduction 

— not indirectly, incidentally or by roundabout meth- 
ods but by direct drills. 

The nerve cells — more properly the neurons — do 
not increase in man beyond the number he is born 
with, and " sense training " and " memory training " 
are impossible, if by that we mean increasing or de- 
veloping the keenness of the senses, or the native re- 
tentive power of the mind. Our brain power, how- 
ever, is increased by the increasing number of paths 
that connect the neurons and these paths can be in- 
creased. In other words, mental training is gained 
by increasing the association of ideas, by acting and 
reacting on them, by forming habits of attention, con- 
centration, etc., by persistent practice in the direction 
we wish to excel. // you stimulate and exercise the 
brain cells properly you can develop almost any habits, 
abilities, tastes, facidties, you may wish. 

The chief mental trouble with children, as well as 
with grown-ups, is lazymindedness. To force the mind 
into activity is therefore the first object of this train- 
ing. 

To those accustomed to the easy going, do-pretty- 
much-as-you-please methods of early instruction, much 
of the following work may seem too difficult, advanced 
or even impossible of acquisition by a young child but 
this impression is because they are unaccustomed to 
drill such as described in this book. 

There is no such thing as making brain paths in 

XV 



Introduction 

a hurry, but paths develop more rapidly when we 
are young, increasingly slowly as we grow old. Hence 
the inestimable importance of early forming of brain 
paths. 

If you start early enough there are hardly any abili- 
ties that cannot be acquired, no matter what heredi- 
tary traits are to the contrary. Demosthenes, though 
handicapped by an impediment in his speech, there- 
fore hereditarily unfit for an orator, became the great- 
est that history has ever recorded. 

If you start too late there is hardly any great abil- 
ity that can be acquired, no matter what hereditary 
traits predispose to it. No great musician, I believe, 
was ever made who started later than six years of 
age on the course of his art. 

But it is not for the future alone, it is also for 
the present results that the following training is in- 
tended. It is to make children that will be a blessing 
— a joy to be with and a delight to have with you 
and, what is equally important, a delight to others as 
well. 



XVI 



GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS 

CONDITIONS FOR TRAINING 

A GROUP of your own and your neighbor's children 
between the ages of four and six, gathered together 
in your home, is the best arrangement for the train- 
ing described in this book. 

The home is the best place, because pre-school train- 
ing is best given under the normal conditions and in 
the usual surroundings of everyday life. The idea 
of school, of a class or of a room especially set apart 
and equipped for lessons, is unfavorable to the best 
development. The nearer to the heart of the home, 
to the bosom of the family, the richer is the environ- 
ment, and the nearer the child is to the center of his 
world. If, therefore, such a meeting-place is not feas- 
ible, then the conditions of the home should be simu- 
lated as far as possible. 

A group is best, because, as Quintilian long ago 
pointed out, training with one's fellows — social life 
— ^is necessary for the best all-around development. 
Such a group of children should partake of the nature 
of a child's party or social gathering, and the various 
activities should only help to foster this idea. The 
parent or teacher then becomes merely a social di- 
rector, training the child for proper living with and 

xvii 




General Instructions 

among his fellows. This, however, should not be con- 
strued to mean that the child's life should be all play; 
by no means — but work and play — business and 
pleasure — as in the home and family. 

THE COURSE OF TRAINING 

The course of training that follows is divided into 
eight parts according to the general character of the 
activities that make up a child's daily life, and a sep- 
arate chapter is devoted to each part. These different 
activities are not clear cut however — physical at one 
time, mental at another, moral at still another — but, 
as in life, overlapping and merged. These eight divis- 
ions of the course are as follows: 

Habit Drills (Obedience, Observation, Attention, 
Concentration, etc.) 
To form ^character and a basis for future edu- 
tional work. 
Social Training (Common Courtesies, Conversa- 
tion) 
To give training in courtesy, in bearing and for- 
bearing, in language and expression. 
To stimulate action and reaction. 
Story Telling 

To present models for emulation. 
To fire ambition. 
To incite the imagination, etc. 
xviii 



General Instructions 

Physical Training (Exercises, Calisthenic Drills, 
Marches) 
To develop the body, form proper habits of car- 
riage, correct wrong tendencies — round shoul- 
ders, bad postures, etc. — and to give poise, self- 
control and ability to handle oneself. 
Rhythmic Arts (Rimes, Songs, Singing Games, Folk 
Dances) 
To train in rhythmic appreciation, dramatic ex- 
pression, and to give the child a repertoire of 
rimes, songs and dances. 
Free Play (Plays and Games) 

To teach principles of fair play and good sports- 
manship, and what and how to play, as well 
as to give exercise and joy. 
To train in alertness, speed, ingenuity, skill, ac- 
curacy, etc. 
Manual Training (Modeling, Painting, Drawing, 
etc.) 
To develop manual skill and dexterity — the abil- 
ity to " do things " with one's hands. 
To form habits of industry, persistence, precision, 
neatness, etc. 
Information 

To impart a knowledge of some of the funda- 
mentals in nature, science, art, etc., including 
the beginnings of reading, writing and arith- 
metic. 

xix 



General Instructions 

ROUTINE OF TRAINING 

First of all, it is necessary to reduce the child's life 
to a routine — to a daily program — and adhere to it 
— to have a time for his work, for his play and for 
his other functions. Such a regulated life makes for 
the best present and future happiness of both the child 
and family. 

The parent or foster parent should, therefore, adopt 
one of the following suggested programs, or arrange 
one to suit the special conditions, and carry out in 
each period the drill, occupation, business or activity 
as directed in the chapter dealing with that activity. 
Each day she should use one or more lessons or drills 
from each of the eight Parts, the course proceeding 
through all the Parts simultaneously, not progress- 
ing from page to page through the book. 

In the case of a single child, or children in the 
same family, to be trained at home, there should be 
a definite daily period set aside for each of the eight 
kinds of activities — comprising in this case all of the 
child's waking hours, as suggested in the special pro- 
gram that follows. In other words, living and train- 
ing should go hand in hand. It will be seen from 
this statement, therefore, that the idea of school in 
which there is constant direction or surveillance is 
not to be thought of, and that the Free Play will 
form a very large part of the day. The Habit Train- 

XX 



General Instructions 

ing should go on at all times, in rising, in dressing, 
at meals, at play, and not be limited to the special 
time set apart for drills in the regular program. 

In the case of a group of children from different 
hornes, a concentrated program limited to two or three 
hours must of necessity be followed, but this should not 
relieve the parent from seeing to it that each child 
carries out the principles that have been inculcated — 
especially the habit drills, for in no case will two or 
three hours of drill counteract the effect that a dozen 
hours or so of license or contrary training in the 
home will have. 

In any case, therefore, the parent must be conver- 
sant with the course of training and cooperate in it. 
She cannot shift the entire responsibility, and the 
teacher must acquaint the parent with the nature of 
the training and call upon her to see that the child is 
kept in practice at home. Furthermore, when the 
child enters school the parent should see to it that 
the habits are kept up, otherwise the pre-school train- 
ing will be undone and wasted. 

METHOD OF TRAINING 

Most of the directions for training the child precede 
each group of activities and it will, of course, first be 
necessary for the parent or teacher to become con- 
versant with these preliminary explanations, especially 
the one on Habit Drills, as the whole system rests on an 

xxi 



General Instructions 

understanding of the nature and importance of habits 
and the psychological method of forming them. 

But there is a most important general principle to 
note here — Good Spirit is essential to all successful 
training and teaching. Get the child into a happy, 
interested mood, ambitious to do well, to excel and 
the actual teaching or drilling will be a joy and the 
maximum results will be accomplished with ease and 
delight. 

This does not mean, however, that tears are always 
to be avoided. Some of the most valuable lessons of 
life are learned at the expense of tears. Beethoven, 
as a child, was made to practise the piano though the 
tears were running down his face. Nevertheless there 
is hardly any more important rule than this — Get the 
child into a good spirit and keep him in a good spirit. 

Though most of the instruction and explanation of 
principles will be made at the time the occasion arises 
for their use, that is, preceding each period, the ques- 
tions of Moral Training, Punishments, Rewards, Speed 
and Concentration are such general ones applying to 
all periods that they will be considered at once. 

MORAL TRAINING 

Sooner or later almost every loving parent wakes 
up some morning to find that his child, of whose up- 
rightness, purity of mind, and untainted soul he was 
absolutely certain, has committed some act that dis- 

xxii 



General Instructions 

plays unbelievably shocking moral turpitude. If the 
parent had not been overweeningly confident that " The 
king could do no wrong," if he had not considered 
moral training superfluous in his case, if he had not 
neglected to drill the child in habits and fill his mind 
with admiration of the right and abhorrence of the 
wrong, the mischief should not have happened. 

But if it has already happened the parent need not 
be discouraged. All children have some degree of un- 
regeneracy, of perversion, of the animal, as you your- 
self know if you will only recall some of the thoughts 
and even acts of your own childhood, of which you 
may shudder now to think you could ever have been 
guilty. This is not by way of palliation but by way 
of encouragement. There is hope still for the boy 
or girl. 

Lying, cheating, stealing, are hard names for very 
common faults of childhood, to which list must be 
added ill temper, selfishness and thoughtlessness of 
others. There are four chief ways to correct these 
faults and to fashion the best type of boyhood and 
girlhood — 

By Appeal to Right, 

By Building up Self-Respect, 

By Story Telling, 

By Drill in Proper Habits. 
I. Appeal to child's sense of right, of what is fair 
and square, straightforward, decent, truthful. Avoid 

xxiii 



General Instructions 

the sentimental appeal. Threats of eternal damnation, 
" the goblins will get you " or more concrete punish- 
ments are all bad. 

2. Self-respect may be made not only the greatest 
preventive of wrong-doing but the greatest incentive 
to right action and ambition. Appeal to the child's 
pride; make the positive suggestion that he possesses 
some desirable qualities or traits; this is the surest 
method of bringing about the realization of such quali- 
ties. Make him proud of his reputation for prompt- 
ness, truthfulness, courage, of his erect bearing, courte- 
ous manners, and, in order to maintain such record — 
to live up to it — he will not cry when hurt, nor lie 
to save himself from punishment; he will carry him- 
self erect, he will be on time, he will put forth his best 
effort to continue to excel. Therefore, whenever the 
remark is apropos, say, either to him or to others in 
his hearing, 

" John is courageous." 

" He is not afraid of the dark." 

" He never cries when he hurts himself." 

" He always does what he is told." 

** He is very helpful." 

" He is thoughtful of others." 

" He can always be trusted." 

" He stands very straight," etc. 

In the course of time he will invariably try to live up 
to the opinion held of him. 

xxiv 



General Instructions 

Conversely, no contrary suggestion should ever be 
made that the child is not all that he should be. Hu- 
man nature lives down, as well as up, to its reputa- 
tion. 

3. Story Telling is another means of moral train- 
ing — if stories are told that inspire emulation of a 
model or fire ambition and a regular period is provided 
for this. Imitation follows on admiration; whatever 
the child admires he consciously or unconsciously 
imitates. If he admires a policeman he will want to 
be a policeman; if the tight-rope walker at the circus, 
he will try tight-rope walking. A child who lives with 
heroes will become one himself, but good qualities must 
be made attractive, bad ones unattractive, from the 
child's standpoint. A story with a stated or an obvi- 
ous moral is apt to be less effective than one where the 
point is more subtle. Goody-goody tales and those 
with an obvious moral are resented by a normal child, 
or make pious little hypocrites, or sanctimonious Phari- 
sees. 

4. Drill in habits of obedience, self-control, com- 
mon courtesies, etc., provide an active and positive 
moral training. Provision is also made for these drills 
in the course that follows. 

PUNISHMENTS 

If the foregoing means of moral training are put in 
practice, and especially if the habit of obedience is 

XXV 



General Instructions 

formed — and It is first of all the habits that are in- 
culcated in this course — ■ the necessity for punishment 
is reduced to a minimum. When, however, the ne- 
cessity for punishment does arise, and there is no 
regime under which it does not and will not arise 
at times, care should be taken that the punishment 
is of the right kind and administered in the proper 
spirit. 

A child's offense should be treated as a lapse which 
he will try never to repeat, or a failing which he will 
strive to remedy. 

If feasible, the child should first correct the trouble 
or mischief he has caused, and then be put through 
some ordeal that will either practise him in right do- 
ing or impress the importance of right doing upon him, 
so as to prevent the repetition of the offense. 

If he acknowledges his sin or his fault, the teacher 
or parent should first endeavor to have the child pass 
judgment and pronounce sentence on himself. If thus 
appealed to, the child will often be more severe on him- 
self than even the teacher would be. 

For example, the following hypothetical case should 
be suggestive: 

The child has been told he must not play with his 
ball in the house. He does so and accidentally smashes 
a vase. The following conversation illustrates the 
ideal to be striven for though it is hardly to be expected 
that a child will answer in the following way without 

xxvi 



General Instructions 

suggestion from the parent and considerable practice 
in right moral thinking — 

Parent: Did n't I tell you not to play . with your 
ball in the house? 

Child: Yes, father. 

Parent: And you did, and broke a vase? 

Child: Yes, father. 

Parent: You disobeyed me. You see the result. 
What do you think you ought to do about it? 

Child: Never play with my ball in the house. 

Parent: Yes, but won't you? 

Child: I promise. 

Parent: Yes, but what do you think you should do 
to make sure you will never forget again? 

Child: Not play with my ball at all for a week. 

Parent: Yes, but how will you make up for it? 

Child: Take the pennies out of my penny bank and 
buy mother a new vase. 

Parent: Anything else? 

Child: Tell her I'm sorry it happened. 

The appeal to the child's sense of what is fair and 
right or proper is the best appeal and will usually be 
met in the proper spirit. 

But even if the punishment is pronounced or inflicted 
by the parent, it should be accepted by the child as 
right and proper. If it leaves him ill-tempered, sin- 
ister, revengeful or bitter, the proper effect is missing 

xxvii 



General Instructions 

and the parent should not cease till the right spirit is 
shown. 

A child in a paroxysm of temper should not be 
argued with. If overwrought and upset, weeping and 
stubborn, he should either be left alone till the emo- 
tional storm subsides or an attempt be made to dis- 
tract his attention to something far off from the con- 
cern that is causing him all the trouble. 

A child should never for an instant be allowed to 
say " I won't." With each repetition of " I won't," 
he becomes more assertive and more disobedient by 
auto-suggestion. The very first time he says " I 
won't," he should be summarily dealt with, forcibly 
made to do what he " won't " and at once, so that he 
may expect the same severe treatment should he ever 
repeat the " I won't." 

If the parent has made a point of having something 
done, he must insist on its accomplishment, and the 
child should never be permitted successfully to main- 
tain opposition by force of tears or stubborn resist- 
ance. If, as a result of his obstinacy, his emotional 
state becomes extreme, the matter may be postponed 
temporarily but should be concluded later without 
fail. 

Loosely to threaten, as many parents do, all sorts 
of punishments without enforcing them but rarely, en- 
courages disobedience and utterly demoralizes a child- 
All warning threats are as a rule bad and should 

xxviii 



General Instructions 

not be made without deliberation, but once made, 
unless unjust, should be strictly adhered to and en- 
forced. 

It is unnecessary to make the *' punishment fit the 
crime " in every case. Herbert Spencer's theory that 
punishments should be " natural consequences " is not 
practicable. 

For the turbulent or rebellious spirit corporal pun- 
ishment may be permissible, though usually the best 
method is depriving rather than inflicting, the curtail- 
ment of some pleasures — dessert, a story — or denial 
of a privilege, such as entertaining a playmate. 

There are several things punishments should not 
be. 

First, they should not merely penalize, they should 
aim to be of future benefit; they should not merely 
pay back an old score, but either correct the error or 
prevent the recurrence of the wrong-doing. 

Second, they should not shame nor humiliate, for the 
most potent appeal that can be made is to a child's 
self-respect and if the child loses this by being stood in 
a corner, black listed, held up to ridicule, shamed be- 
fore one whose approval he values, he will never have 
quite the same spirit again. 

Third, a scolding or " talking to " should not be a 
sentimental appeal to hypocritical emotions — " You 're 
breaking mother's heart," " I 'd rather be dead," etc. 

Fourth, it is a mistake to impose the learning of les- 
xxix 



General Instructions 

sons as a punishment, for in making studies a penalty 
and a task, the possibility of the child ever loving his 
work is spoiled. 

REWARDS 

All life is a striving after rewards. It may be for 
money, a prize, power, the pleasure in winning, love, 
honor, or simply the satisfaction in something well 
done. The attempt to purge education of all rewards 
is mere visionary sentimentalism. The more spiritual 
rewards are, of course, the most desirable and mere 
money or prize rewards the worst form, but that re- 
ward should be used as a stimulus that is most effective 
in bringing about the best results, in which must be 
reckoned the effect on the child's character. Money 
and prizes tend to make the child's motives sordid and 
mercenary and for that reason should be used only as 
the last resort with those to whom no other form of 
reward will appeal, but even such children should be 
gradually led to higher ambitions. Rewards that take 
the form of honors or privileges are the best. 

SPEED 

One who can work twice as fast and play twice as 
fast as another, can live two lives in one, and as the 
object in life is to get the most we possibly can out of 
it, speed is a most valuable asset. We all know how 
much more rapidly one man works than another — 

XXX 



General Instructions 

whether the work be physical or mental, or a combina- 
tion of both. It is not at all unusual for one person 
to accomplish twice as much as another in the same 
time. 

Haste is not desirable, but haste implies speed with- 
out care. The child's common excuse, " I could have 
done it if I only had had time," is no more an excuse 
than to say, " I could have done it if I only had known 
how." Speed is in most cases a requirement just as 
essential as accuracy or any other excellence. 

The ultimate possible development of speed for sim- 
ple acts depends on one's reaction time and this varies 
in individuals and cannot be materially altered by edu- 
cation. If the operation is a simple recurrence of a 
sequence of motions that may be reduced to a habit, 
such as folding and enclosing letters in envelopes and 
sealing and stamping them, the speed depends on one's 
reaction time, pure and simple, to which fatigue or 
effort are factors common to all tests for speed. 

But for attending to a quantity of varying details, 
such as general office work, general practice, etc., it 
is necessary to have quick observation, quick judg- 
ment, and the ability to eliminate, as well as quick ex- 
ecution, and these qualities can be developed by edu- 
cation. 

The habit of speed may be formed by timing all cus- 
tomary or routine acts and setting the child the object 
of reducing this time. For actions requiring but a 

xxxi 



General Instructions 

short time, counting out loud is an effective means of 
hastening matters. Thus, in giving an order that is 
Hkely to be dallied over, say for instance, 

" Take your place for calisthenic drill." Then 
sharply count, " One ! two ! three ! four ! " and so on 
till the last one is in place. 

In giving fetching or finding orders the teacher 
should always take count of the time, till the habit of 
promptness is formed. Thus, if she wishes to have 
a book brought from downstairs, she might say, 

" I wonder who can get me my red book from the 
library table in the quickest time." 

All say, " I," of course. 

" Well, let 's see how long it will take Jack to get it. 
One, two, three," etc. 

A child in the family should likewise be timed for 
dressing, undressing and performing any other habit- 
ual activity, privileges being taken away or punish- 
ments inflicted if the time exceeds a reasonable length, 
or if an effort to reduce it is not apparent. 

CONCENTRATION 

Speed, except in the case of habitual acts, demands 
concentration, therefore exacting speed exacts concen- 
tration, and teaching speed teaches the habit of con- 
centration. A boy untrained in concentration will 
dawdle an hour over a sum that a trained boy will do 
in sixty seconds. 

xxxii 



General Instructions 

The most satisfactory means of securing concentra- 
tion of mind and purpose is by setting a time limit or 
making time an object. No other factor forces such 
concentration as does limited time. 

Some people are unable to concentrate at all until 
brought to it by the stress of time shortage. At the 
last moment before going in to the examination, be- 
fore rising to speak, before the train leaves, before the 
paper goes to press, then if ever, does one concentrate 
on what has perhaps been neglected or put off until 
then. 

Therefore, in order to obtain concentration- and form 
the habit of concentrating, demand speed, make every 
task a contest against time, or confer a privilege for 
speedy completion of any task. Allow the child to 
play as soon as his work is satisfactorily completed and 
noi until it is satisfactorily completed. For instance, 
say, " Just as soon as you have finished this and it is 
well done, you may do what you please." 

Never name a definite period of time for the child 
to keep at a task for that encourages dawdling and 
lack of concentration. In the language of the shop, 
demand " piece " work, not " time " work — the use of 
the word *' time " here connoting just the opposite of 
speed. A workman paid by the day will invariably 
take longer than one paid by the job, for in the former 
case the premium is put on long time, in the latter, 
short time is made an object, 

xxxiii 



General Instructions 

In the case of a nervously disposed child, limited time 
may at first aggravate the nervousness, but if the de- 
mand for speed is persisted in nothing so effectively 
puts a quietus on all nervous manifestations as this 
same requirement, since only by eliminating all signs 
of nervousness can the concentration necessary for the 
greatest speed be secured. If, for instance, in the 
needle threading exercise given among the habit drills 
for attention, a child in the contest to get his needle 
threaded first, jumps up and down in nervous excite- 
ment, jiggles his arms, sputters and giggles as he gen- 
erally does at first, he will be sure to lose. The speed 
demanded requires that he conquer every erratic mo- 
tion and act and concentrate on the one thing. 

Teachers and parents are constantly speaking of the 
value of concentration and of the necessity for a child 
to learn first of all to concentrate. Now concentra- 
tion is a habit of mind which some children form read- 
ily or naturally, while others do so with great difficulty. 

In any case, however, the parent or teacher can in- 
culcate this habit by insisting constantly that the child 
attend to the matter in hand, by requiring that he dis- 
regard all distracting things and by calling back his 
attention whenever it wanders. 

In addition, special drills are given in Part I to fos- 
ter this habit. 



xxxiv 



PROGRAMS 

The following programs are suggested to meet the 
varying conditions of the training whether at school 
or at home. 

TWO TO THREE HOURS' CONSECUTIVE PROGRAM 

For one child or a class. 

ist Period Social Training io to 15 minutes 

(Information may be included here) 
2nd Period Habit Drills 15 to 20 minutes 

T^rd Period Story Telling 15 to 20 minutes 

4th Period Physical Training 15 to 20 minutes 

Cjth Period Rhythmic Arts 15 to 20 minutes 

6th Period Free Play 20 to 40 minutes 

yth Period Manual Training 20 to 30 minutes 

Sth Period Information 10 to 15 minutes 

(May be included in ist Period) 

CONSECUTIVE AND SCATTERED PROGRAM 

For one child or children in same family. 

1st Period Habit Drills 15 to 20 minutes 

2nd Period Manual Training 20 to 30 minutes 

XXXV 



Programs 

3fc? Period Physical Training 15 to 20 minutes 
4th Period Rhythmic Arts 15 to 20 minutes 
^th Period Information id to 15 minutes 

At Table and Play Social Training 
At Bed Time Story Telling 

All the Time . Habit Drills 

Between Times Free Play 

scattered program 

For one child only — or children in same family. 

On Rising 



At Breakfast 

During Morning 
At Luncheon 

During Afternoon 

At Supper 
After Supper 
Between Times 
All the Time 



Physical Training 

Social Training 

Habit Drills 

Information 

Social Training 

Manual Training 

Rhythmic Arts 

Social Training 

Story Telling 

Free Play and Habit Drills 

Habit Drills 
xxxvi 



CONTENTS 



PAGE 

INTRODUCTION ix 

GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS xvii 

CONDITIONS FOR TRAINING xvii 

THE COURSE OF TRAINING o . . xviii 

ROUTINE OF TRAINING xx 

METHOD OF TRAINING xxi 

MORAL TRAINING xxii 

PUNISHMENTS xxv 

REWARDS XXX 

SPEED XXX 

CONCENTRATION . xxxii 

PROGRAMS XXXV 

PART I. HABIT DRILLS 3 

NATURE OF HABITS 3 

FORMING OF HABITS 7 

BREAKING OF HABITS 10 

PURPOSE AND METHOD OF HABIT DRILLS .... 12 

OBEDIENCE DRILLS I4 

ORDER AND NEATNESS DRILLS 32 

OBSERVATION DRILLS 35 

IMITATION DRILLS 63 

ASSOCIATION DRILLS 65 

IMAGINATION DRILLS 70 

ATTENTION AND CONCENTRATION DRILLS .... 73 

FURTHER HABIT DRILLS 81 

PART IL SOCIAL TRAINING 85 

COMMON COURTESIES 88 

CONVERSATION 90 

SPEECH 100 

xxxvii 



Contents 



PAGE 

PART III. STORY TELLING 107 

KIND OF STORIES 107 

METHOD OF TELLING 110 

LIST OF STORIES AND STORY BOOKS m 

PART IV. PHYSICAL TRAINING 119 

HEALTH REQUISITES II9 

TABLE OF GROWTH 123 

EXERCISES 123 

PART V. RHYTHMIC ARTS 141 

RIMES 141 

SONGS 160 

SINGING GAMES 162 

FOLK DANCES 163 

WORDS AND MUSIC OF SONGS 165 

PART VI. FREE PLAY 171 

PLAYS, ATHLETIC 174 

PLAYS, MANUAL 176 

PLAYS, IMITATIVE 177 

GAMES, WITHOUT APPARATUS 179 

GAMES, WITH APPARATUS 181 

PART VII. MANUAL TRAINING AND OCCUPA- 
TIONS i8s 

AIMS 185 

LEFT HANDEDNESS 187 

MANUAL TRAINING 

CLAY WORK 190 

COLOR WORK 193 

DRAWING 198 

PAPER FOLDING AND CUTTING 201 

STRING WORK 209 

WORK FOR SPECIAL SEASONS 212 

THANKSGIVING 212 

CHRISTMAS 213 

ST. VALENTINE'S DAY 215 

WASHINGTON'S BIRTHDAY 2l6 

xxxviii 



Contents 

OCCUPATIONS 



PAGE 

INDOORS 219 

OUTDOORS 220 

PART VIII. INFORMATION 223 



METHOD OF INSTRUCTION 



224 



SAMPLE LESSON 226 

INDEPENDENT RECITATION 228 

QUIZ QUESTIONS 229 

SYLLABUS OF INFORMATION LESSONS 230 
READING AND WRITING 268 



DIRECTIONS 



271 



BASAL SENTENCES 278 

INDEX 291 



XXXIX 



ILLUSTRATIONS 

PAGE / 

" Untangling a Snarl " Frontispiece '^ 

" Dropping Medicine " 2 ^ - 

" Introducing " ' .... 84 ^ 

" The Story on a ' Willow ' Plate " 106 i-^ 

"Down, Up" 118 u 

"Folk Dancing" 140 v/' 

" Playing Tenpins " 170 '-^ 

" Paper Lantern and Pinwheel " 184 ^ 

" Learning to Tell Time " 222 ^ 



CHILD TRAINING 




Photo^apU by Bachrach 

HABIT DRILL 

"Dropping Medicine" — Training in concentration, attention, muscular control, etc. 



CHILD TRAINING 

PART I 
HABIT DRILLS 

NATURE OF HABITS 

The baby feeding himself for the first time car- 
ries his spoon with rapt attention, but nevertheless by 
a wobbly, uncertain and sloppy course from his bowl 
to his mouth, spilling the contents impartially between 
bib, chin and lips. Great have been the problems of 
balance, poise, muscular coordination and the calcu- 
lation of distance and direction to bring about this 
tortuous journey from bowl to mouth without a total 
wreck. After an indefinite number of repetitions, 
however, the habit is formed and the route is trav- 
ersed with ease, simplicity and perfect safety without 
the slightest attention. 

Anything that has been done once is more easily 
done a second time. After it has been done a dozen 
times it is still easier. After it has been done a hun- 
dred times it is called " natural," and is done without 
conscious thought or attention, slipped into without 
thinking — it has become a habit. 

3 



Child Training 

A habit is a rut made by going over the same course 
repeatedly, a rut into which the same act will fall 
ever afterwards. It is a channel dug out in the brain 
by the flow of the mental stream, a conduit bored by 
the current of thought. 

A marble on a bagatelle board, or a ball on a bil- 
liard table may take an infinite number of courses, 
for there are no grooves to determine the route, but 
the brain is in effect crossed and criss-crossed by 
grooves which hold a thought to a certain course, as 
in the case of the marble in some puzzles, even though 
we make a determined effort to shake it into another 
channel. 

A nail once driven home, if withdrawn, can hardly 
be re-driven in a different direction if inserted in or 
even near its own hole. It will almost invariably slip 
back into its own first hole, no matter what effort we 
make to alter its course and so it is with thought and 
act. 

What you do when you forget yourself is a habit, 
not what you do when you think. The story of the 
old soldier who dropped his bundles in the street and 
brought his hands promptly to his side when sharply 
called to " Attention ! " illustrates this truth. 

In time of stress or trial " company manners " as- 
sumed for a special occasion, invariably vanish — for- 
gotten in the bewildering strangeness or paralyzed by 
excitement. If you tell a child how to act just be- 

4 



Habit Drills 

fore he goes to a " party " you may be pretty sure 
he will get his instructions all wrong, or not heed 
them at all. Practise him once or twice and he will 
make a muddle of them, but habituate him to them 
and he will act as he has been trained even when he 
forgets himself. 

We come into this world without habits, we acquire 
them as we acquire weight and stature, there is no 
option. The habits may be good or they may be bad 
but there must be habits and there will be habits — 
there is no escape. Our daily life is almost entirely 
controlled by habits — our method of dressing, eating, 
speaking, working, playing, is habit, and it is fortunate 
that it is so, for if conscious attention, consideration, 
decision and control had to be given each individual 
act throughout the day, we should never get dressed 
before bed time. Therefore, until the routine of daily 
life is reduced to proper habits it is a waste of time at- 
tempting anything else — like attempting to play con- 
certos before one is able to play scales. 

Now it is a commonplace in education to say that 
the forming of character is the chief aim, that it is not 
so much what is learned, as the character produced, 
but character is nothing more than the sum total of 
habits — good or bad. In speaking of good and bad 
habits, we are apt to think of the morally good or 
bad, of the grosser habits, but this is a very small 
part of the matter. Good and bad habits mean those 

5 



Child Training 

that are good or bad for one physically and mentally, 
as well as morally and either in the present or future. 

Good habits are among the best things in the world, 
bad habits among the worst and yet though the im- 
portance of good habits is universally recognized, 
though the language is full of sentiments, quotations 
and proverbs attesting their value, habit forming is 
still left almost entirely to chance or environment. 
It is casual or incidental, not, as it should be, the seri- 
ously absorbing business of elementary education. 

Chance may make the habits good but chance may 
just as well make them bad. If left to chance alone, 
according to the laws of chance the good and the bad 
are in the long run about equally divided. Education's 
business, therefore, is to make as large a part of the 
habits as it can good, — good in the sense of useful 
to the individual and society — the habit of dress- 
ing quickly and carefully instead of slowly and in a 
slovenly way; of eating properly the right things in- 
stead of wrongly the wrong things; of speaking cor- 
rectly and pleasingly, instead of incorrectly; of work- 
ing skilfully, efficiently and industriously instead of 
slip-shodly and lazily; of playing hard, well and 
fairly instead of lackadaisically, poorly and in bad 
spirit; of thinking logically and justly instead of 
whimsically and prejudicially — of acting in a thou- 
sand right ways instead of the many thousand wrong. 



6 



Habit Drills 

FORMING OF HABITS 

Good habits are sometimes supposed to be merely 
the result of proper atmosphere, proper models, and 
other subtle forces; bad habits of bad atmosphere and 
improper models, but this is only partly true. 

Habits are formed by repetition and in no other 
way than by repetition. Whatever you do in a cer- 
tain way repeatedly you will continue to do in this 
way. If you want to form the habit of playing the 
scales on the piano in a certain way, you do so by 
multitudinous repetitions till you " get the habit "of 
using certain fingers in a certain sequence without 
conscious thought or hesitation, once the start is 
made. If you want to train a child to pick up scraps 
of paper from the floor whenever he sees them, put 
paper on the floor and have him pick it up, put it 
down again and repeat the exercise exactly as if you 
were training a dog to fetch the newspaper, till the 
habit is so formed that the sight of waste paper on 
the floor starts the reflex action — pick up. 

The repetition may be involuntary as when one 
acquires the habit of eating with one's knife, drinking 
from one's saucer, etc., by unconscious, repeated imita- 
tion of those about one, or it may be voluntary, as 
when one acquires the habit of swimming, running an 
automobile, or sailing a boat, by voluntarily practising 
the movements repeatedly. 

7 



Child Training 

The Involuntary habits we can form by making the 
right setting for the child. His playmates, nurses, 
and not least, his parents, will be his involuntary copies, 
models and habit formers. 

The voluntary habits we can form only by practis- 
ing the child, they cannot be formed by telling him. 
If we want the child to get the habit of closing the door 
quietly It Is not enough to tell him to close the door 
quietly and after he has banged It, tell him again he 
should have closed it quietly and not bang It the next 
time. He has the muscle memory of banging the door 
which the verbal memory will not counteract. He may 
remember to close the door quietly the next time but 
the chances are he will not, because It Is a question 
not of memory but of habit. Neither Is It sufficient to 
have him once close the door quietly — It merely bal- 
ances the one time closed noisily and this leaves the 
two quits. The proper course is to make him close 
the door a number of times quietly, both to emphasize 
the muscular memory and to start the formation of the 
habit. 

While forming a habit a most Important rule to ob- 
serve Is to allow no lapses, no exceptions, until the 
habit is firmly established, for habits that are inculcated 
by drill are secured only as the result of eternal vigi- 
lance and never failing exaction. A single omission 
will set back the habit formation, make further omis- 
sions easier and defer Indefinitely the time when the 

8 



Habit Drills 

habit is to become second nature. If the parent or 
teacher neglects to notice the omission of the act to 
be formed into a habit, the habit is half undone, — a 
second and third failure to exact it and the habit is 
gone completely. As James aptly puts it, " Each lapse 
is like the letting fall of a ball of string which one is 
carefully winding up, a single slip undoes more than 
a great many turns will wind again." The parent or 
teacher must not forget nor overlook a single omission 
until the habit is ineradicable. The child must be 
brought to feel that the correction is inevitable and 
cannot be avoided if the required act is omitted. In 
training a dog to beg for food, if he sometimes gets 
it without begging, all the previous training is undone. 
In training a child to say " please," if sometimes he 
gets what he asks for without first saying " please," the 
training in this form of courtesy is undone. 

The child will naturally take the easiest way, the 
shortest cut, and if the habit we wish to inculcate re- 
quires his going the long way round we must erect a 
barrier across the short cut until the habit of going 
round is formed, so that in case he starts on the pro- 
hibited route, he will invariably be forced to retrace his 
steps and take the right. After awhile he will give 
up trying the short cut, but only if he finds the gate al- 
ways closed. If occasionally it is left open, he will 
take his chance in the hope of getting through. 

" Nagging " results from starting the corrective 

9 



Child Training 

process after a contrary habit is already formed, or is 
due: to making the corrections intermittently, or to 
omitting the necessary preliminary practice and repeti- 
tions. 

The forming of good habits in children is therefore 
one of the most difficult tasks in the world for the 
teacher or parent, but worth all and more effort than 
is expended, for the comfort, satisfaction and livable- 
ness that the child of such training brings to the house- 
hold, school, playmates and all others associated or 
brought into contact with him, as well as for his own 
popularity, friendliness, success and happiness, both 
at the present and in the future. 

In forming a habit, therefore, force the child to take 
the right path and go over the same ground repeatedly 
till the habit becomes familiar, easy and natural, and 
never for an instant leave the gate to the wrong path 
open — till the habit is fixed. 

BREAKING OF HABITS 

But not only has the parent or teacher the task of 
forming good habits, bad habits which have already 
been acquired must be broken up. 

If the nature of habits and their formation is under- 
stood from what precedes, the method of undoing 
habits is obvious: Never once allow the child to do 
the habitual act after the " breaking " has begun for ex- 

lO 



Habit Drills 

ceptions as in the case of habit forming nullify the 
effect. 

If the child has already acquired the habit of eating 
between meals, he should not be cut down to few vio- 
lations — none at all should be allowed. In other 
words bad habits should be pulled out like a tooth or 
a splinter with a single wrench not by degrees. 

But even though the habits are otherwise good, 
as Radestock and others have pointed out, there 
is some danger in extreme habituation — in getting 
into a rut from which one cannot get out. If a per- 
son requires the identical stimulus for the identical re- 
action, or if he is unable to do differently should the 
occasion demand it, he is inconvenienced if not ren- 
dered helpless when the habitual train of action is 
broken. 

There is also a further drawback in extreme habit- 
uation — the finish and nicety of execution tend to 
become slurred. Joseph Jefferson used to say that 
acting Rip Van Winkle had, by multitudinous repeti- 
tions, become such a habit that he could go through 
the whole play without once thinking of what he was 
saying or doing. He had constantly, therefore, to 
force himself to keep his mind on every line, every 
gesture, every action, to prevent them becoming me- 
chanical, expressionless and monotonous, from the 
very fact of extreme habituation. 

In children, however, these dangers are practically 

II 



Child Training 

negligible, and in the case of the habits inculcated in 
this course they can hardly be too deeply or too per- 
manently ingrained — and no fear may be felt that 
habituation will become so extreme as to work harm. 
Nevertheless practice should be given in acting con- 
trary to custom and habitude, so that the child may not 
be upset by changed conditions and therefore sugges- 
tions are given for this under " Further Habit Drills." 

PURPOSE AND METHOD OF HABIT DRILLS 

The general purpose of the following period, there- 
fore, is to give specific drills that will start the forma- 
tion of habits of obedience, observation, attention, 
concentration, and so on. 

To form the habit of obedience we practise the 
child in obeying, in carrying out orders, in executing 
commands, in doing what he is told. To form the 
habit of observation, we drill him in observing with 
the different senses — hearing, seeing, feeling. To 
form the habit of attention and concentration we prac- 
tise him in attending and concentrating till he is able 
to attend and concentrate for longer and longer 
periods. A lesson plans work for, approximately, one 
period, but it should be repeated and repeated until the 
lesson to be learned is learned or the habit to be fixed 
is fixed, and should be recurred to from time to time, 
to make sure that it is so. From what has been said 
of the nature of habit it will readily be seen, however, 

12 



Habit Drills 

that it is not sufficient to practise, insist and adhere 
strictly to certain drills at stated periods set down in 
the program — this is only the start in the right direc- 
tion — but at any time or hour or period or season the 
same habit must be insisted upon whenever and how- 
ever the occasion for it arises. 



13 



OBEDIENCE DRILLS 

Obedience — the ability and willingness to carry out 
directions exactly and promptly — is the first requisite 
for the proper instruction of a child and is, therefore, 
the first habit to be inculcated. 

The value of obedience as a school art, aside from 
its ethical importance, is almost inestimable. Much 
of the delay, preparation, explanation and instruction 
of raw recruits in the first year of school and, indeed, 
throughout the grades, might be avoided and time 
saved if children were systematically trained in carry- 
ing out orders. 

Obedience includes not only moral obedience — the 
willingness to obey the laws of God and man and the 
commands and directions of those in authority — but 
also the ability to do so. The child may be perfectly 
obedient in spirit, but lacking in training and unable to 
execute the commands. The great majority of child- 
ish disobedience is not wilful, not intentional, but 
simply lack of association of the order with the idea 
of its execution, or inertia in setting up the association. 

Watch green children ordered by a strange person, 
for instance the teacher, the first few days of school : 
"Stand," "Sit," "Look at me." The child looks 

14 



Habit Drills — Obedience 

around vaguely, and even if the perfectly simple com- 
mand be given in stentorian tones, he may seem be- 
wildered and make no move to obey. The child 
knows what is meant to " Stand," " Sit," and " Look ' 
at me " and does not oppose any resistance nor intend 
voluntary disobedience, but he does not associate the 
command to " Stand," " Sit," " Look this way," with 
his own standing, sitting, looking this way. The sen- 
tence is for him grammatically declarative and not im- 
perative — a simple statement, not an order. The 
child may even have to be stood up, and then sat down, 
etc., simultaneously with the order till he associates 
the command with its execution, in exactly the same 
way that we teach a dog to " lie down " by putting him 
in that position when we give the order. When oth- 
ers are present who do associate the command with the 
order, he learns from imitation of them what is ex- 
pected, and if his name precedes the command as, 
" John, stand," or " You stand," he may learn more 
quickly. 

On the other hand he may be perfectly able to exe- 
cute the order, but laziness, selfishness, perversity or 
indisposition make him unwilling to do so. 

Both willingness and ability may be made a habit as 
the result of specific training. Indeed, if the habit is 
started early enough and firmly established, willingness 
does not enter into the problem. If the child has al- 
ways obeyed and has never been allowed any other 

15 



Child Training 

course, the habit of obeying will be so strong, so com- 
pelling, that unwillingness to obey on any special oc- 
casion will have no effect, the direction will be obeyed 
without question or parley, as a matter of course, no 
matter what the personal feelings may be — so much 
stronger is the force of habit than any other tempo- 
rary or occasional force. 

The business of the first importance Is, therefore, to 
fix the habit by constantly and insistently demanding 
the prompt execution of every order without any ex- 
ceptions whatsoever, exceptions being fatal to the for- 
mation of habits. Such excuses or postponements of 
obedience as : " Can't B do it, I 'm doing so and so? " 
or, " In just a minute, when I finish this," even though 
the temporizing is reasonable, are destructive to habit 
forming and should, therefore, for this reason alone, 
not be tolerated. 

I. Simple Orders 
Imitation, Terms of Direction 

Say to the children, " I want to see if you can do 
what I tell you, instantly, when I tell you and just the 
way I tell you." Then give the order: 

" Stand up." 

Some may obey promptly, some may obey more 
slowly, some may hesitate, look around to see what the 
others are going to do and finally but tardily, rise. 
Some may pay no attention to the order at all, but look 

i6 



Habit Drills — Obedience 

blankly around or attentively at something else ex- 
actly as if they had been excepted in the command. 

If there is much irregularity in obeying correctly 
and at once, it may be necessary to say, " All children 
stand up," or " All of you stand up," and this may have 
to be supplemented by the explanation, " When I say, 
' Stand up,' I mean you, John and Mary, as well as the 
others." Then give the order : 

" Sit down." 

Repeat these orders, " Stand up," " Sit down," half 
a dozen or more times until all the children understand 
what is wanted and obey promptly, quietly and without 
hesitating or lagging. This drill is not, of course, for 
the purpose of teaching the child the meaning of 
" stand up " and " sit down," but to form in him the 
habit of executing promptly orders that are under- 
stood. A child knows what it means to " stop making 
a noise " or to " come " when called, but unless he has 
been drilled in obedience he does not always obey, or 
obey instantly, or obey graciously, and this is the 
obedience these exercises are intended to inculcate and 
will inculcate if strictly drilled in. From such simple 
and small beginnings may be built up and formed most 
complex and useful habits. Then give the selective 
orders : 

"Boys, stand up." 

" Girls, stand up." 

*' Girls, sit down," etc. 

17 



Child Training 

Have them first imitate you, while you execute the 
above order, as directed. This is training by imita- 
tion. Then have them carry out the order from the 
command alone. Give the order but do not execute it 
yourself, or better still, tell them to close their eyes 
and keep them closed while you give the order and they 
obey. This is to prevent imitation of others in the 
class. They are not trained until they can obey 
promptly without seeing either the teacher or another 
child whom they can imitate. Then give the order: 

" Raise your right hands," raising your own at the 
same time, to show which is right. If facing them, 
raise your own left hand as you say to them, " Raise 
your right," as in imitating you they will raise the 
hand that is on the same side with your own. Ask 
them in the same way to raise the left, imitating your 
own motion. Note those that hesitate, make a false 
start or raise the wrong hand and practise these alone 
on raising right and left as directed. Repeat this drill, 
having them close their eyes while doing so. Then 
give the children other orders of direction, such as : 

" Look up, down." 

"Face right side, left side." 

" Place your hands on top of your head, under your 
chair, behind your back." 

" Stand up, stand on right foot, on left foot." 

" Turn round to the right, to the left, sit down." 

" Kneel on right knee, on left knee, on both knees." 

i8 



Habit Drills — Obedience 

" Clap your hands once, twice, three times." 
First, practise the children as a class, having them 
imitate you. Second, give the command and have 
them execute it with closed eyes. Afterwards, prac- 
tise them individually, devoting the drill to those who 
are unfamiliar with the terms used or slow to carry 
them out. 

2. Non-Repeated, Quiet Orders 

Obedience, Attention 

Obedience that cannot be secured without many 
repetitions, loud tones, even a threatening manner is of 
little value. Give the orders in Drill i, in a very quiet 
tone and rather a casual manner. Put those not obey- 
ing to one side, till they promise to attend. 

Such practice in having soft quiet orders promptly 
obeyed, orders that can just be heard or that are given 
casually while talking or attending to something else 
is most important. The child becomes accustomed to 
pay keen attention to sound in the same way that a 
nurse is trained to awake at the slightest movement of 
her patient. Orders given when a child is at play 
(which at any other time would not be unagreeable) or 
when they come as an interruption to what the child 
is doing, are rarely obeyed, unless the child has been 
practised and usually punished. But it is perfectly 
possible and a delightful, though a rare, experience for 
a child romping, or busily engaged with toys or ab- 

19 



Child Training 

sorbed in some occupation, to respond instantly with- 
out a moment's hesitation to a parental call. 

Repeat the foregoing quiet order drills until orders 
are executed with promptness and decision. 

3. Simple Orders 
Obedience, Precision 

Prepare a list of simple but varied commands, such 
as: 

" John, shut the door." 

" Mary, bring me that book." 

" Give this book to John." 

" Get me a glass of water." 

" Close the window." 

" Put your chair by me," and so on. 

Give the first direction to a child and await its pre- 
cise fulfilment, asking the class if the child has fol- 
lowed the direction in every particular, or if he has 
failed, and in what respect he has failed. The child 
executing the order should ask no questions and if 
there is a choice of possibilities within the spirit of 
the order, either should be judged correct. 

With the first orders there should be no chance for 
misunderstanding or for an alternative but later there 
should be, and the success of the child adjudged ac- 
cording to the reasonableness of his interpretation. 
Thus, when the order is, " Close the window," if there 
is more than one window open, and the exact one is 

20 



Habit Drills — Obedience 

not specified, he should determine which is the one 
probably intended — the one possibly through which 
the wind or rain is coming. 

Each time an order is executed the children should 
be called upon to suggest an improvement — for ex- 
ample : " John banged the door ; " " He did n't shut 
it quietly ; " " He made too much noise in going to 
the door;" "He asked which door;" or "He hesi- 
tated, took too long," and so on. 

When each has had his turn, then the teacher should 
give each another turn at a different order, but not too 
often on this occasion to fatigue or bore the children. 
For fear of this, it is best not to take up a single order 
at a time and have each child, in turn, execute it, for 
even though each would undoubtedly improve on the 
preceding, the exercise would become very monotonous 
even before the order had been around the class once. 

4. Simple Deferred Orders 
Obedience, Attention, Memory 

Prepare a list of orders as in the preceding drill and 
tell the children you will give each one an order, but 
it is not to be executed till you give the word. Then 
read the list of orders, putting a name of a child before 
each order, and when you have finished say, 

" Now, do what I have told you." 



21 



Child Training 

5. Negative Orders or Prohibitions 

Obedience, Memory, Attention, Self-control 

The burden of much of the instructions to teachers 
and parents is, " Don't say don't." Of course it is 
usually better to say " Do," for " Don't " is apt " to 
put ideas into their heads ; " ideas that were not there 
before; e.g., the classic example of the mother who left 
her children with the parting injunction, " Don't put 
beans up your noses." It is a psychological law that 
all ideas are potential acts. We unconsciously tend 
to" carry out any idea in our mind whether it has " Do " 
or " Don't " attached and the don't oftentimes only 
serves to emphasize its prominence as an idea and 
hence renders it more compelling, more likely to be 
acted upon, than if nothing were said about it at all. 

But inhibition — which is the suppression of such 
ideas — is an important habit to be cultivated and 
though it is perfectly true that the unfamiliar, the un- 
likely to happen is, as a rule best left unmentioned; 
nevertheless for purposes of discipline, practice in obey- 
ing negative commands is highly important, as most 
laws and rules from the Decalogue down, are prohibi- 
tions — "Thou shalt not." 

Face the children away from you and tell them you 
are going to practise them in obeying the order, 

" Don't look." Tell them that when you have given 
the order, they are not to look round, under any cir- 

22 



Habit Drills — Obedience 

cumstances, no matter even if a contradictory order is 
given, until you call " Time," Then give the order 
and behind their backs try different devices to entice 
them into looking. Tell a story and pretend to illus- 
trate it, saying for instance, " Jack and Jill went up a 
hill, like this " (stamp about or make audible gestures) 
"to fetch a pail of water, like this" (make chalk 
marks on the blackboard, as if drawing). "Jack 
came down, like this " (turn over a chair) " and broke 
his crown, like this" (drop a book or something 
heavy), and so on. Suddenly speak into the ear of 
one saying, " look here," tap another on the shoulder 
excitedly and so on. 

6. Double Orders 
Obedience, Attention, Memory 

Make a list as in drill 3, but with two orders for 
each child, thus : " John, hand me that book, and put 
this on the tatle." Use in the same way as in drill 3. 

7. Double Deferred Orders 
Obedience, Attention, Memory 

Use the list of double orders made in lesson 6, but 
have them carried out as in lesson 4 — that is, read 
all the orders before having any of them executed. 



533 



Child Training 

8. Prohibitions 
Obedience, Self-control 

Tell the children you are going to practise them still 
further in obeying " Don'ts." Then, give the order : 

" Don't make any sound until I call ' Time.' " 

Allow them to move their heads, arms, feet; even 
to move about, though this privilege should be for- 
feited by any one failing in the slightest degree to 
observe the command. Watch and listen for the 
faintest sound and have them do the same, but only 
the teacher must call attention to any voluntary or in- 
voluntary breaking of silence. At the end of five min- 
utes call " Time." Discuss M^ith the children what 
they could do to observe the command better or more 
easily and repeat the exercise. 

Then tell them to get into a comfortable position, 
one that they can maintain indefinitely, as they are to 
remain not only silent but motionless. Ask them to 
pretend that they are to have their pictures taken, that 
the slightest motion, shifting of position or twitching 
— breathing and blinking of the eyes excepted — will 
spoil the picture, and say, 

" Now don't move, till I call ' Time.' " (The illus- 
trations in this book were made of children drilled in 
this way.) 

Call " Time " at the end of two minutes, as this is 
a very severe ordeal. Further practice, however, 

24 



Habit Drills — Obedience 

should make them able to hold this position for five 
minutes, or longer. 

9. Prohibitions 

Obedience, Self-control 

Tell the children you are going to command " Don't 
talk," and then are going to try to surprise them into 
talking or asking a question, but they must say nothing 
under any circumstances. Tell them they are sup- 
posed to be mutes, without the power of speech — as 
dumb as the animals. 

Then give the command, " Don't talk," but continue 
to talk yourself, telling either a story or something 
about which children would ordinarily ask questions 
and if this does not succeed, abruptly ask one of the 
children a question, trying to take him off his guard or 
to startle him into a reply. 

10. Secret Keeping 
Obedience, Attention, Inhibition 

Practise the children in keeping a secret, first ex- 
plaining how careful they must be not to " give them- 
selves away," that to keep a secret they must never tell 
that they have one, for in case they do, there are nu- 
merous ways in which it may be extracted without 
their directly telling it. If, however, it is known that 
they are in possession of a secret, their only safe reply 
to every question is, the usual attorney's instruction 

25 



Child Training 

to his client, " I have nothing to say." To answer 
" Yes " and " No " is disastrous ; for any clever ques- 
tioner by asking leading questions could, by the process 
of elimination, eventually obtain the secret. 

Ask one child to tell another a secret, then put the 
latter on the grill, cross-questioning, cajoling, daring 
him, in the ways usually employed to extract a secret, 
thus: 

" Will you give me three guesses? " 

"Is it this, is it that?" 

" I know what it is, it is ." 

" I don't believe you have a secret." 

" I dare you to tell." 

" You are afraid to tell." 

"If you tell me, I '11 tell you something." 

To which the invariable reply, if any, should be, 

" I have nothing to say." 

This may be followed by the Deaf-and-Dumb Game. 
In this the children pretend that they can neither hear 
nor talk and try to act accordingly, though the teacher 
tries her best to trip them up and to surprise them into 
betraying they are not so. 

For instance, she might say: 

" Look at me." The children shall of course not 
hear and therefore not look. 

" All of you." This is an extra jar to surprise the 
unwary. 

" Do you want me to tell you a story ? " 

26 



Habit Drills — Obedience 

II. Judgment Orders 
Obedience, Observation, Judgment 

Prepare a list of orders in the fulfilling of each of 
which something is left to the judgment of the child, 
by the omission of either the location, the method or 
something of the sort. Thus : 

"John, please close the window," (when there are 
several open). He must not ask which one, but judge 
from conditions or the reason prompting the order, 
which is the one probably meant. 

" Mary, please bring me a pencil." She must not 
ask, " Where shall I find one? " or " Where can I get 
it ? " but judge from previous experience or likelihood 
where to go for it. 

" Harry, please get me my coat." He must not 
ask where it is, but go and look for it in the most 
probable place and keep up his search till he is suc- 
cessful. 

12. Carrying Messages 
Obedience, Memory 

Prepare a list of fetching orders involving finding 
a person and giving a message, which the child may 
not necessarily understand — such orders as — 

" Go to and get a book called ." 

" Go to the janitor and get a hammer, screw driver, 
ten nails and five screws." 

27 



Child Training 

" Go to and get three envelopes and two sheets 

of letter paper." 

" Go to and get a piece of string about a yard 

long and half a dozen pins." 

The child should always be made to repeat the 
message to be sure he has it right before starting on 
his mission. 

13. Time Orders 

Obedience, Memory 

Prepare and give out a list of orders to be executed 
some time after the order is given, say at 12 o'clock. 
The children should be shown the position of the hands 
of the clock at the required hour and instructed to 
execute the order precisely at that time without further 
direction. Either fetching or doing orders similar to 
those previously given are appropriate. 

The child must, therefore, remember both the order 
and the time when it is to be put into effect and act 
independently when the proper time arrives. 

14. Prohibitions 

Obedience, Self-control 

Tell the children you are going to leave the room, 
and while you are gone they must stay in their seats 
but may do as they choose, as long as they make no 
noise or sound audible to another in the room. Leave 
for five minutes, the first time merely going out of 

28 



Habit Drills — Obedience 

sight and not out of hearing. On your return ask 
how many failed to observe the rule. Treat it as a 
game and failure merely as losing, not as offending. 
Tattling should not be allowed. 

15. "Simon Says Thumbs Up" 

Obedience, Attention, Concentration 

The game of " Simon says thumbs up," involves 
both a command and a prohibition. Explain that when 
the teacher or one of their own number, appointed 
to act as leader, says simply, " Thumbs up " or 
" Thumbs down," they must make no motion, but 
when the leader saysy " Simon says. Thumbs up," they 
must put them so if they are already turned down, and 
put them down when commanded by Simon if already 
up. If any one but the leader should give the com- 
mand or if thumbs are already in the position ordered, 
they should make no motion. This may be made still 
more exacting by specifying right or left thumb. 

16. Future Orders 
Obedience, Memory, Foresight 

Prepare and give out a list of orders to be executed 
for the next day, such as, 

" John, bring me to-morrow morning one of your 
picture books." 

" Mary, bring me a doll." 

" Harry, bring me a colored leaf," and so on. 

29 



Child Training 

17. Time Orders 
Obedience, Memory 

Prepare and give out a list of orders to be executed 

at different times in the day without further direction, 

thus: 

" At ten o'clock, John, get me a glass of water." 
" At ten-thirty o'clock, Mary, bring me my gloves." 
" At eleven o'clock, Harry, open the windows and 

Louise, open the door." 

" At eleven-thirty, Fred, remind me that I am to 

send a message." 

18. Duties 

Obedience, Memory, Duty 

Prepare and give out a list of orders to be executed 
daily at regular times by the same pupils without fur- 
ther direction — duties. As far as possible these 
should be duties that are actually helpful in the con- 
duct of the class, not fictitious, so that each may feel 
he has not only a part but a function in the community. 
Thus: 

"John, arrange the chairs every day before 9 
o'clock." 

" Mary, water the flowers every day just before 9 
o'clock." 

" Louise, wind and set the clock at noon." 

" Fred, dust," etc. 

30 



Habit Drills — Obedience 

Duties should be assigned that are unpleasant as 
well as pleasant and the child instructed that a duty is 
to be accepted pleasantly and attended to without shirk- 
ing, whining or querulousness and be trained to ob- 
serve this rule till the habit of graciously accepting 
what has to be, is fixed. Each week the duties should 
be shifted so that each child may have a turn, practice 
in different occupations and a taste of both the pleas- 
ant and unpleasant tasks. 



31 



ORDER AND NEATNESS DRILLS 

The desirability of order and neatness on both es- 
thetic and practical grounds should be obvious. There 
is furthermore, a close connection between exterior 
order and mental order. The person who is slovenly 
and untidy in his personal surroundings over which he 
has control is slovenly and untidy in his thoughts and 
mental habits. Order and system are essentials of 
efficiency in both thought and work. 

19. Cleaning up Room 

Scatter waste paper, blocks, toys, on the floor and 
have the children pick them up, put paper in scrap 
basket and blocks, etc., where they belong. 

20. Putting Things in Place 

Disarrange the room by putting things out of their 
proper place — a coat on a chair, a hat on the table, 
a hammer on the desk, a towel on the book rack and 
have the children put each article away in its proper 
place. 

21. Setting Room in Order 

Disarrange the furniture and furnishings of a room, 
turning a chair to the wall, putting a picture on the 

32 



Habit Drills — Order and Neatness 

slant, twisting the tables, raising one shade, etc., and 
have each child in turn re-arrange the furniture prop- 
erly. 

22. Sorting Papers 

Place on a table a miscellaneous lot of papers, post 
cards, envelopes, etc., each of the same size but mixed 
higgledy-piggledy, and have the children arrange each 
kind in order with the faces all up and in the same 
direction, and jog each pile together till the edges are 
even on all sides. 

23. Sorting Books 

Mix a pile of different size books and have each child 
arrange the pile with the biggest book at the bottom 
and the others of diminishing size with the backs of all 
even and together. 

24. Sorting Miscellaneous Articles 

Mix books, magazines, newspapers, letter paper, en- 
velopes, etc., and have each child, in turn, separate and 
arrange by himself the different articles. 

25. Setting Desk in Order 

Have the children observe the arrangement of a desk 
top or drawers, the mantel, etc. Then take everything 
off and away from the mantel and the desk and have 
them place the things back in their proper position. 

33 



Child Training 

26. Setting Table 

Show the children how to set a table and have them 
set one. 

27. Setting Cupboard in Order 

Show the children the orderly shelves of a cupboard 
or pantry closet, then disarrange and have them set 
everything in order — the cups together, the same kind 
of dishes together, knives together, forks together, and 
so on. 

28. Setting Personal Belongings in Order 

Have the children set their own things to rights after 
each use and keep them so. When a child undresses 
for bed he should fold his clothes and arrange them in 
an orderly manner on a chair or hooks. 



34 



OBSERVATION DRILLS 

It is usual to expect the child to observe without any- 
special training, on the supposition that because he has 
all his senses he will see and hear whatever is to be seen 
or heard, and yet we should know that those who 
have eyes to see frequently do not see, and those who 
have ears to hear, frequently do not hear. Indeed it 
might be more exact to say that people as a rule see 
and hear only dully, without observing details, or with- 
out having them make any impression on the mind. 

The musician detects fine differences in shading of 
tone that pass entirely over the ordinary listener; the 
artist notices the contour of the face, the color, setting 
and distance apart of the eyes and the details of other 
features that no one without his training sees. 

We say repeatedly that the child should get his edu- 
cation not from books, but from the world about him, 
by observation at first hand, and yet we do not teach 
him to observe, expecting that it is all sufficient to 
present things to him and let him do the rest. The 
result is inefficient study, wasted time, wasted ma- 
terials, wasted opportunities. 

The way to open the child's mind to observe the 

35 



Child Training 

world without, is to practise him in observing that 
world through the different senses. The habit of 
observing and discriminating once formed by exercise 
and drill is the first step in learning that vague art — 
the advantage and importance of which every one rec- 
ognizes and acknowledges but for which few have been 
able to give a receipt — how to study. The next fac- 
tors in " how to study " are attention, concentration, 
association and memory, and these habits will, there- 
fore, be practised in their order. 

It is not reasonable to postpone teaching the child 
how to study till after he has been or is supposed to 
have been studying for years. 

Special exercises for training in observation through 
taste and smell are chiefly valuable on account of the 
mental attitude of close observation and discrimina- 
tion engendered, rather than on account of any in- 
trinsic value, slight at most, which the ability to differ- 
entiate tastes and smells may have. This statement is 
not true, however, of the other senses, touch, sight and 
hearing, where the training is of the greatest possible 
importance as an acquisition in itself. 

29. Tasting 

Observation, Discrimination 

Prepare glasses of water, as follows: Pure, salt, 
sweet, sour (use lime or lemon juice), bitter (use ex- 
tract of bitter almonds). 

36 



Habit Drills — Observation 

Give each child a straw and have each in turn close 
his eyes and taste the plain water. Or, fill a medicine 
dropper and directing, 

" Open your mouth and close your eyes," put a few 
drops on the tongue of each. Ask the children to, 

" Taste the taste," make up their minds what it is, 
and when all have had a taste and not till then, tell 
what it is. 

Tell them they are not to answer till asked per- 
sonally. Ask several others in turn and if each says 
" Just plain water," or " Water," ask those thinking 
the same to raise their hands. (Children at this age 
are prone to raise their hands indiscriminately so that 
due allowance must be made for this form of affirma- 
tion, and reliance is never to be put upon it.) If the 
class is not too large, each pupil may be called to the 
teacher's side to whisper his opinion in her ear. Con- 
firm the opinion by saying, 

" Yes, it is water," then repeat the same process 
using the salt water. If some say " Salt water," and 
some " Sour water," or " Plain water," in response to 
the second test, ask those that think one thing and 
those another to arrange themselves in groups, stand- 
ing, sitting, or raising their hands, accordingly, before 
announcing which is correct. Proceed in the same way 
with glasses of water diluted with some fruit or other 
syrup, as chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, raspberry, 
pineapple, orange, peach, cherry, peppermint, winter- 

37 



Child Training 

green. Care should be taken to give only a taste of 
each flavor and not enough to upset the stomach. 

30. Smelling 

Observation, Discrimination 

Use fresh flowers or small glass vials filled v^rith 
some or all of the following, and entirely cover 
each vial with paper so that the contents cannot be 
seen: 

Extract of carnation, violet, geranium, rose; orris 
root, celery seed, coffee, sage; oil of cedar, lemon, 
cloves, nutmeg, peppermint, wintergreen, turpentine, 
lavender. 

With very young children it will be necessary to state 
the name of the flower, or spice, or herb before passing 
the vials for smelling and this may have to be repeated 
a number of times before a real test in discrimination 
is possible. 

Have the vials passed about and judged as in the 
previous exercise. Use not more than five the first 
day. The sense of smell becomes easily fatigued so 
that one is hardly able to distinguish differences if 
more than five are smelled in rapid succession. If, 
also, a child has a cold, he will be unable to do himself 
justice. 

Have the glasses used in the previous taste exercise 
passed about to each child in turn and allow him three 
" sniffs " with the eyes closed. For this purpose it may 

38 



Habit Drills — Observation 

be necessary to strengthen the solution somewhat. For- 
bid any comment whatever till each child is asked to 
name what it is, on completion of the round, as in the 
case of the taste exercise. 

Explain in regard to the use of perfumes, that those 
of fresh flowers are occasionally permissible to girls 
and women, being in keeping with the idea of feminine 
character, but that they are very bad form for a boy 
or man. 

31. Feeling Fabrics 
Observation, Discrimination, Information 

Prepare squares, the size of a pocket handkerchief, 
of different materials, as follows : 

Velvet, wool, silk, cotton, linen, satin, sateen, bur- 
lap, corduroy, buckram, felt, canvas, cheesecloth, 
chamois, leather, pantesote. 

In this lesson take the first half dozen pieces and 
pass each in turn to the children, saying, 

" This is velvet," " This is wool," " This is silk," 
and so on, and have them feel and examine each piece 
with open eyes and then with eyes closed. 

Discuss the appropriate uses of the different ma- 
terials — which are suitable for summer clothes, which 
for winter; which for shirts, handkerchiefs, collars, 
trimmings ; which for curtains, upholstery, etc. 

Blindfold each child in turn and test, to see which 
can identify the greatest number without mistakes. 

39 



Child Training 

32. '' Blind Man's Buff " 

Observation, Discrimination, Cleanliness 

Have the children prepare for this exercise by wash- 
ing their hands and nails till they are surgically clean. 
Explain the difference between ordinary cleanliness 
and surgical cleanliness and insist on the latter. Send 
them back to the wash room repeatedly till the skin is 
pink from scrubbing and without the remotest trace 
or suggestion of a shadow or discoloration that might 
be dirt. When their hands are perfectly clean, have 
them observe and examine the feeling of the clothes 
of their mates. Then blindfold each in turn and have 
him endeavor to identify his mates by feeling their 
clothes as in " blind man's buff." 

33. Feeling Materials 
Observation, Discrimination 

Give lessons similar to those preceding, using other 
materials such as wood, metal, hard rubber, soft rub- 
ber, glass, stone, china, plaster of Paris, brick, card- 
board, blotting paper, cork, straw, braid, wire screen- 
ing, crayon, paraffine, soap, clay, tin. 

At first the children may finger the article all over, 
but later they should identify it by touching the sur- 
face alone, determining what it is by its roughness, 
smoothness, coldness, warmth, elasticity, plasticity, 
viscosity, etc., not by its form — a much more difficult 

40 



Habit Drills — Observation 

undertaking and requiring a keenness of perception in 
which only a moderate degree of accuracy can be ex- 
pected. 

34. Weighing 

Observation, Discrimination, Baric Sense 

Show children a pair of balance scales, those with 
balanced pans on each side of a fulcrum, and how 
things of equal weight balance each other while in the 
case of unequal weights the heavier falls and the lighter 
rises. Then take two boxes of equal size but unequal 
weight, such as two match boxes, and fill one with 
meal and the other with sand. Place one box in the 
right hand of a child and the other box in his left and 
ask him to tell which is heavier or which is lighter. 
Verify or correct his judgment by balancing the boxes 
on the scales, after he has opened his eyes. Do the 
same with two books and two packages. 

Then take two packs of cards and subtract from one 
pack and add to the other to make small differences in 
weight, and test the pupil's baric sense, as for the 
books. 

35. Finding in the Dark 

Observation, Muscular Sense 

Blindfold a seated child and giving him five ten- 
pins, ask him to set them up the same distance apart 
in a line before him on the table. Then ask him to 
reach out and hand you the ten-pin on the right end, or 

41 



Child Training 

the left end, then the middle, etc. He should take hold 
of the ten-pin asked for the very first time and not 
feel around for the right one, or touch any other. If 
he does so it is a failure. 

36. Finding in the Dark 
Observation, Muscular Sense 

Put several articles, such as a cup, a bottle, a hat, a 
book in different parts of the room, on the table, 
mantel, peg, desk, etc., then stand a ten-pin or Indian 
club on the floor in the vicinity of each article. Then, 
blindfold each child in turn and ask him to get you 
the cup or hat, or other article, without knocking 
down a ten-pin. At first the children should be allowed 
to go over the course before being blindfolded. 

37. Feeling Paper 

^ Observation, Discrimination 

Get together sheets of paper of different weights, — 
tissue and 5, 20, 25 lbs., etc. (meaning weight of 
ream) — and have the children tell which is thicker and 
heavier by feeling it between their fingers. 

38. Object Seeing 

.Observation 

This is called the " I see game." Each child is given 
a turn to name an object he sees for the others to dis- 
cover, thus: 

42 



Habit Drills — Observation 

First Child, " I see a clock." 

Second Child, " It 's on the wall." 

First Child, "Yes." 

Second Child, " I see a basket." 

Third Child, " It 's by the desk." 

Second Child, " No." 

Third Child, " There it is on the table." 

Second Child, " Yes." 

Third Child, " I see a ring," and so on. 

39. Finding and Replacing 
Observation 

This is a most valuable exercise in finding things. 
We all know how many have eyes and see not, how 
often even older people fail to see something for which 
they are looking, even when it is right before them. 

" Plant " various articles in different parts of the 
room or building — a pair of scissors in the top drawer 
of your desk, a ball on the shelf of the closet, a paint 
box in the basket on the table, a red book on the bot- 
tom row of the bookcase, etc., and prepare a list ac- 
cordingly. Make sure that each article is where it is 
supposed to be and that the children know what they 
are looking for, are ignorant of its whereabouts and 
understand the descriptive term, such as top, bottom, 
red, etc. Then give the order to each child to bring 
you the various articles, thus : 

"John, get me the scissors in the top drawer 

43 



Child Training 

of the desk." " Mary, get me the ball from the shelf 
of the closet," and so on. In this lesson the specific 
location should be given in each instance, so that there 
may be no excuse for the child not finding the article. 

After all the articles have been brought you, have 
them all re-placed, by ordering each child in turn thus : 

" Put the ball on the shelf of the closet," etc. 

Of course, the replacing order should be to a differ- 
ent child than the one who did the fetching. 

40. Rapid Finding 
Discrimination, Observation, Speed 

Repeat the previous drill but with a newly prepared 
and different list of orders and have all children ex- 
cept the one executing the order, close their eyes so that 
they may not rely on memory for the proper location 
when replacing on second round. Also have them, 
with their eyes closed, count out loud in concert with 
the teacher while the search is being made, to determine 
the time taken by each pupil in executing the order. 
Thus, Teacher: 

" John, get me my hand bag from the closet." 

The children close their eyes and count, one, two, 
three, four, five, six, etc., in concert with the teacher. 
Teacher : 

" Thank you " — as It is handed to her. Children 
stop their counting and open their eyes at the signal, 
" Thank you." 

44 



Habit Drills — Observation 

41. Rapid Finding cmd Replacing 
Observation, Attention, Memory 

Read a newly prepared list of orders for fetching, 
but have the children act on the directions not as given 
but simultaneously after the entire list has been read 
and the teacher has said " Now, each do what I told 
you." Then have the children replace the articles 
simultaneously after the orders have been re-assorted, 
so that the child does not replace what he fetched. 

42. Finding Book 
Observation, Attention 

Show the children a book and ask them to note its 
characteristic features, color, size, thickness. Then 
ask them to turn their backs while you place the book 
among others in the bookcase. Then ask a child to 
find and bring you the book in the quickest possible 
time. Count out loud and have the children do so 
with you till the book is found. 

Repeat the exercise, placing the book on another 
shelf or in a different section, and have each child in 
turn find it, seeing who can do so in the shortest time. 

43. Arranging Colors 
Observation, Discrimination, Cleanliness 

Give the children spools, reels or bobbins of embroid- 
ery floss or worsted, in varying tones and shades of 

45 



Child Training 

red, orange, yellow, blue, green, violet, unassorted. It 
is supposed that the names of the colors have been 
learned in a previous Manual Training Period. Have 
the children make their hands surgically clean, in order 
not to soil the delicate colors, then ask the first child to 
pick out red and arrange by it all its shades and tints 
in their proper order, from normal to dark, and from 
normal to light. The normal is the rainbow color, 
its tints are the same color lightened in different de- 
grees, its shades are the same color darkened in dif- 
ferent degrees. 

Ask the second child to do the same with the orange, 
and so on. 

44. Matching Fabrics 
Observation, Discrimination, Cleanliness 

Prepare a box of good sized odds and ends of dif- 
ferent colored fabrics, being sure that there are two or 
more of precisely the same tone, but of different ma- 
terial, for example, a square of lavender cotton, a bit 
of lavender ribbon, a scrap of lavender spool silk, etc., 
all matching. Give a piece of material to each child 
and have him find the other pieces that match it. 

45. Selecting Appropriate Material 
Observation, Good Taste, Judgment 

Prepare a box of odds and ends of tailors' samples 
of cloth, also madras, percale, shirting material and the 

46 



Habit Drills — Observation 

like. Then have the boys pick out samples of goods 
for an imaginary outfit and the girls do likewise with 
the box previously used. 

The boys and girls should then comment on the selec- 
tion each has made and the teacher criticize both, 
or suggest improvements in color scheme or choice of 
materials. 

The teacher should call attention to the fact that 
certain colors are more becoming to blondes and certain 
others to brunettes, that some colors are loud or con- 
spicuous, and others, all right by themselves, clash when 
associated. 

The laws governing color harmonies and taste in 
colors are not adequately covered by any rule. Taste 
is simply the result of cultivation, in observing fine 
discriminations and continually striving to feel the 
effect of different combinations on the esthetic emo- 
tions. 

The teacher should be quite sure she is right (and 
who can be) before insisting on the acceptance of her 
own choice. On the other hand, the children should 
be encouraged to have a favorite color, an opinion of 
their own as to color harmonies with a reason, if pos- 
sible, in such a case. 



47 



Child Training 

46. Finding Color 

Observation 

Say to the children, " I want you to tell me all the 
colors you can see in this room — or out of doors — 
or, in this colored picture." One child may then say, 

" I see red, do you ? " 

The next one, or the teacher tells where he sees red, 
until the first child says, " Yes, that 's it." 

Continue this till small and obscure bits of color are 
seen and recognized, and names are learned for other 
colors and shades that are not prismatic, such as gilt, 
tan, flesh color. 

47. "Shop Window '^ 
Observation, Attention, Concentration, Memory 

On a table place a dozen promiscuous articles, such 
as a book, a doll, a cake of soap, a pair of scissors, a 
box of matches, a piece of ribbon, and so on, being 
careful that the children do not see what the things are. 
Cover these articles with a cloth and tell the children 
when you draw the cloth they are to notice and bear 
in mind as many of the articles as they can before you 
cover them. 

Then give the warning signal of attention, saying, 

" Now." 

Draw the cloth, count five and replace it. Ask 
the children to close their eyes and go over in their 
• 48 



Habit Drills — Observation 

minds what they saw, being careful to mention nothing 
out loud till directed to do so. 

Give them a second glance to confirm or correct their 
mental list, exposing the articles to view once more, 
but this time only, while you count two. Then call 
upon a child and have him give a list of the articles 
he remembers having seen. If he fails to give a 
complete list or names articles incorrectly, other chil- 
dren may be called upon to complete the list or make 
corrections. Repeat the exercise several times, chang- 
ing the articles each time, of course, and reducing the 
time, increasing the number of articles and omitting 
the second view as the children become quicker and 
more accurate in observing. The exercise is a valuable 
one to give once each day or every few days for some 
time. 

48. Sight Seeing 

Observation, Attention, Concentration, Memory 

Take the children on a tour of inspection to visit 
another room in the house. Tell them they are to 
notice everything they can in the room, the number of 
windows, the chairs, closets, bookcases, pictures, plants, 
and miscellaneous articles. Arrange the children in a 
position to view the room when the door is opened, 
then open it, saying, 

" Now." 

Count ten and close the door. Have a child describe 

49 



Child Training 

the details he has observed as fully as he can and have 
them augmented and corrected as in the previous drill. 

49. Hunting Coin 
Observation, Attention, Self-control 

Play the game of " Hunt the Coin." Have the chil- 
dren close their eyes, or leave the room, while you place 
a penny, a quarter or other coin, in some part of the 
room where it can be seen — not under cover — on a 
pedal of the piano or in the bottom of a glass, for in- 
stance. Then ask the children to hunt and when they 
have seen the quarter, whisper its location to you and 
take their places by your side without betraying where 
the coin is by look, gesture or exclamation. Continue 
the game by having a child do the hiding. 

50. Altering Card 
Observation, Attention, Discrimination 

Lay out on a table a dozen playing cards or pictures 
of a uniform size in three rows of four each. Cover 
them until ready to give the test. At the usual signal, 
" Now," draw the cover and have the children note the 
arrangement. Then cover or have the children close 
their eyes or turn their backs while you change the 
arrangement of one card or picture or exchange it for 
another. On signal, have them re-observe the cards to 
find out, if they can, what alteration has taken place. 



SO 



Habit Drills — Observation 

51. Describing a Child 
Observation, Attention, Courtesy 

Ask a child to stand before the class, turn round for 
inspection, then leave the room. After he has done 
so, ask the children to describe the cut and material of 
his clothes, the color of his hair and eyes, etc. Be 
careful that children do not become unpleasantly per- 
sonal in this exercise. Explain the golden rule. 

52. Describing a Person 
Observation, Discrimination, Courtesy 

Ask a child to describe a person with whom all are 
familiar and have the others guess who is meant, the 
correct identifier to have the privilege of the next de- 
scription. Ask the children to describe any visitor to 
the class after he leaves. 

53. Observing Changes of Dress 

Observation, Discrimination, Attention 

Standing before the class and turning round so that 
they may view you from all sides, ask them to observe 
every detail of your dress, so that they will be able 
to recognize any change made in it. Then go from the 
room and alter, add or take off some detail. For ex- 
ample, take off a pin or change its position, undo one 
button, hide a handkerchief that was previously visible 
or vice versa, change a belt buckle from front to back 

51 



Child Training 

or a bow from right to left and so on. When you 
return, ask those who notice any change that has been 
made to raise their hands and have one of them tell 
what it is. Then have the child giving the correct ob- 
servation, take your place and go through a similar 
exercise, endeavoring to make an original change in his 
own costume. 

54. Describing a Picture 

Observation, Discrimination, Language, Appreciation 

Prepare a set of pictures, preferably copies of famous 
paintings, in each of which there are people doing some- 
thing as, for example, Millet's " First Step." Ask the 
children to examine carefully the picture selected for 
the lesson, so as to be able not only to enumerate all 
the elements of the picture, but to describe the action 
— what is taking place. Thus, in the case of the 
" First Step," in response to the question, 

" What do you see ? " they should not merely say, 
" I see a man, a woman, a baby, a shovel, a wheel- 
barrow, a fence, trees," etc., but, " I see a man kneel- 
ing with one knee on the ground, stretching out his 
hands to a little child whom the mother is holding up 
while trying to walk to its father. The father has just 
come from work and has left his wheelbarrow and 
dropped his shovel by his side. The mother and child 
have just come out of the gate to meet him," and so 
on. Then ask them for further details, such as, 

52 



Habit Drills — Observation 

" Which knee is the father resting on? " 

" Which foot has the child raised ? " 

" Is the wheelbarrow full or empty ? " 

" Has the man a coat on ? " 

" What kind of hat has the woman? " etc. 

Continue in this way on other days with other pic- 
tures, the names of which the child should, of course, 
be told. 

55. Guessing Picture Described 

Observation, Discrimination, Memory, Language 

Ask each child in turn to describe a picture studied 
on a previous day and have the other children name 
the picture after he has finished the description. The 
child answering correctly is then to give a description 
of another picture. 

56. Posing as a Picture 

Observation, Attention, Memory, Imitation 

Prepare a set of pictures, not necessarily different 
from the foregoing, in which the action or the pose of 
the figures, can be imitated, for example, Raphael's 
Cherubs, from the picture of the Sistine Madonna. 
Ask the children to scrutinize this picture, noticing the 
position of the arms, hands, head, eyes, etc. Then ask 
one to imitate the pose of the right hand or the left 
hand cherub, or two children to imitate the group. 
The pose should be practised till it corresponds in every 

'53 



Child Training 

detail, so that if a photograph were taken, it would be 
the exact counterpart of the original, except, of course, 
in features and dress. In the same way, other pictures 
with more dramatic action like the " First Step " should 
be imitated. 

57. Acting a Picture 
Observation, Attention, Memory, Imitation, Dramatic Action 

Ask a child to " act out " a picture previously studied 
and have the other children, as usual, guess the pic- 
ture intended. The child selected should make his 
own choice of picture to be acted, but not tell any one 
what it is, except of course any others he needs and 
should call upon to act with him. 

58. Criticising Incongruous Pictures 
Attention, Discrimination, Judgment 

Prepare a set of pictures in each of which there Is 
something wrong, lacking, incongruous, grotesque or 
peculiar — a chicken with four legs, a man with arms 
attached to his neck instead of his shoulders, a tele- 
phone standing upside down, a bearded man in woman's 
clothes, a horse looking out of a window of a house, a 
man digging with a broom, a dog with only three 
legs, a clock without hands or with hands and no fig- 
ures, a drum or bucket with both top and bottom show- 
ing at the same time (difficult), a dog chasing a cow 
smaller than himself, an American flag with the stripes 

54 



Habit Drills— Observation 

running vertically or the stars in the wrong corner, 
etc. 

Give each child a picture, tell him to make no com- 
ment aloud, but, when he has discovered the peculiarity, 
to raise his hand and whisper it to you when you go 
to his side. Exchange the pictures and continue till 
each has had a turn to inspect all of the pictures, after 
which the peculiarities may be discussed aloud. 

59. Finding Hidden Pictures 
Observation, Attention, Discrimination 

Prepare a set of hidden pictures, that is, pictures hid- 
den within the drawing of another obvious picture. 
For instance, the obvious picture may be of an old man 
leaning on a cane and the hidden picture a fairy in his 
beard, seen only by turning the picture upside down. 
Such pictures may usually be found in the daily papers. 
Give each child one of these hidden pictures, tell him 
what he is to look for and, when he has discovered it, 
to indicate to the teacher privately where it is. The 
picture may then be passed to the next and the same 
thing continued. 

60. Observing Neighborhood Details 

Observation, Attention 

Ask the children to notice anything peculiar, new, or 
interesting that they see on the way to school and tell 
about it at the conversation period the next day. For 

55 



Child Training 

instance, they might report a placard posted on a tele- 
graph pole, a window flower box in a house down the 
street, a new awning over a store, a sidewalk being re- 
paired, a house being painted. 

6i. Observing Neighborhood Details 

Observation, Attention 

Ask the children where in the neighborhood is the 
nearest letter box, drug store, fire alarm, clock, doctor's 
office, public telephone, telegraph office ; what house has 
outside shutters, which one a front porch or a bow 
window, where are there marble steps, and so on. 

62. Observing Neighborhood Details 

Observation, Attention, Discrimination, Memory 

Ask the children to notice all the important features 
of houses or landscape in the neighborhood, then give 
each a turn to ask where such and such a thing is, or 
what can be seen at such a place ; the one answering cor- 
rectly to have the next turn to propound a question. 
The children should be taught to discriminate be- 
tween the important and unimportant by having the 
latter ruled out as such. 

Is the house on the corner wood, brick or stone ? Is 
the one cat-a-cornered from it three or four stories 
high ? Is the one across the way red or yellow ? Has 
the church down the street one door or more ? 



56 



Habit Drills — Observation 

63. " Stranger in Town " 

Obserzation, Direction, Courtesy, Dramatic Imitation 

Tell the children to imagine that you are a stranger 
in town and want to know how to get to the hotel, the 
post office or the railroad station. Ask one of them to 
give you the shortest and clearest direction he can to 
indicate the route you must take. Ask another to im- 
prove on the directions, if he can. Then have one of 
their number pretend to be the stranger and ask to be 
directed to the points of interest. Have the one spoken 
to show courtesy, cordiality and graciousness, but also 
reserve, avoiding gushing or the manners of a confi- 
dence man. 

Have the two selected act out before the class such 
possible street scenes with all the vividness of reality 
that they can give. 

64. " He Can Do Little " 

Observation, Attention 

Play the game of "He can do little." The teacher 
holding a cane in the right hand says to the children, 
" You must "/^tch me closely and imitate exactly what 
I do and say. Those who succeed in imitating me 
exactly, come to my side." She then taps the cane 
on the floor, saying at the same time, 

" He can do little, who can't do this," and passes 
the cane first to her left hand and then to the next 

57 



Child Training 

child. The point is that the next child attending to 
the words and the tapping will fail to observe how the 
cane was passed and will naturally pass it directly from 
the right hand in which it is held. Each child in turn 
tries to imitate and the teacher says, " right " or 
" wrong." Those successful go to the teacher's side. 
The teacher then repeats and the remaining children 
try again to imitate. Of course, the children who 
have correctly observed should be cautioned not to re- 
veal the secret by any word, gesture, emphasis or in 
any other way than by the accurate imitation. A more 
difficult variation of this is to use the words " I re- 
ceived it crossed and pass it uncrossed," or " I received 
it uncrossed and pass it crossed," and so on. 
" Crossed " being used when passed or received from 
the right hand and uncrossed when passed or received 
from the left hand. 

65. " The Moon is Round " 

Observation, Attention 

In the game of " The Moon Is Round," the teacher 
says, " The moon is round and has two eyes, a nose and 
a mouth," at the same time drawing in '-the air with the 
index finger of the left hand an imaginary picture of 
the moon, suiting the action to the word, thus — de- 
scribing a circle when she says, " The moon is round," 
indicating two dots for eyes when she says, " has two 
eyes," and a vertical and horizontal dash, respectively, 

58 



Habit Drills — Observation 

when she says, " a nose and a mouth." The child, if 
right handed, will naturally draw the moon with the 
index finger of the right hand and the point, of course, 
for him to observe and carry out is the use of the left 
finger. 

66. What Do You Hear? 

Observation, Attention, Discrimination 

Ask the children to close their eyes, keep quiet for 
two minutes and listen and note all the various sounds 
they hear. Then at the expiration of that time, ask, 

" Who has heard five different things ; has any one 
heard any more?" Then ask the one who has ob- 
served the greatest number to enumerate them. Thus 
he might say he had heard the sound of a wagon on 
the street — if he mentions the sound of the wheels and 
of the horse's hoofs and the creak of an axle, each 
counts one — the ticking or striking of a clock, the 
scraping of a chair, a footstep in the hall, the toot of a 
steam whistle, the clang of a bell, the flap of a curtain, 
the cry of a huckster, the honk of an automobile, the 
running of water, a song or whistle of a workman, the 
knocking in a radiator, the splash or patter of rain, 
the poimd of a hammer, the ripping of a saw, or other 
such sounds. 



59 



Child Training 

67. Who Speaks? 
Observation, Attention, Discrimination 

Explain that one child, whom you will indicate, is to 
leave the room and speak from outside in his natural 
voice and the remainder of the class is to try to deter- 
mine who it is from the sound of his voice. 

Have the children sit in line with their backs turned 
and eyes shut. Touch one of them on the shoulder 
and have him tip-toe out of the room unobserved by 
his classmates. From that position he should call upon 
one of the children to guess who is speaking. This 
may be varied by having the speaker place his hands 
from behind over the eyes of any child he may choose, 
then answer in his natural voice any question the child 
so blindfolded may ask him. 

68. What Makes the Sound? 

Observation, Attention, Discrimination 

With the children seated, as in the previous exercise, 
make sounds of different sorts and have each child in 
turn tell what it is. Tap on the floor, the wall, the door, 
the window, a hollow box, a drinking glass; clap the 
hands, clap two books together ; snap the fingers, stamp 
or scrape the foot, rub the hands together, crumple a 
newspaper, rattle the door knob, drum on the desk, 
shake the coins in your pocket or a bunch of keys, etc. 



60 



Habit Drills — Observation 

69. What Animal Is It? 
Observation, Attention, Discrimination 

Make different imitative sounds with your lips, 
tongue, throat, etc., such as the cackle of a hen, the 
buzz of a bee or mosquito, the grunt of a pig, the 
whinny of a horse, the bark of a dog, the meow of a 
cat, the moo of a cow, etc., and have each child in turn 
tell what is intended. 

70. Tuning Glasses 

Observation, Attention, Discrimination 

Give each child two drinking glasses, one empty, the 
other containing some water. Put some water in a 
glass of your own and tap it to give a musical note. 
Show the children that adding water raises the pitch of 
the note and pouring out water lowers it. Then have 
them experiment with their own glasses, adding and 
pouring out water till the pitch of their glasses matches 
that of the teacher's. Children at this age have, as a 
general rule, a very poor ear for music and though en- 
tering into songs and rhythmic exercise with the great- 
est spirit, do not readily distinguish shades of difference 
in pitch, often sharping and flatting a note or more 
without being conscious of doing so. These exercises 
are, therefore, important for training the ear. 



61 



Child Training 
71. Tuning a String, 

Observation, Attention, Discrimination 

Take a violin or other stringed instrument, or stretch 
a gut string so that its pitch can be regulated by turn- 
ing a key and have each child in turn tune a string in 
unison with a tuning fork, a pitch pipe, or a note on 
the piano. 

y2. Matching Notes 
Observation, Attention, Discrimination 

Sing a note and have the children together and 
then in turn sing the note, saying, " Ah." Sound a 
note on the piano, pitch pipe or other instrument and 
have the children imitate it. The children may in the 
same way sing other notes in succession. 

73. Singing the Scale 

Observation, Attention, Discrimination, Imitation 

Have the children sing the scale in concert with you, 
without you and by themselves separately. Sing notes 
at different intervals, 3rds, 5ths, octaves, ascending 
and descending and have the children do the same after 
you. 



62 



IMITATION DRILLS 

Imitation involves close observation, in fact it is 
observation put into action. Children delight in imi- 
tation, especially in the kind of mimicry that is gro- 
tesque, exaggerated and lacking in respect. 

74. Pantomime 
Observation, Imitation 

Have each child in turn, act in pantomime and have 
the class guess who or what is intended. Some suitable 
subjects are motorman, postman, chauffeur, carpenter, 
horseshoer, fisherman, tight-rope walker, typewriter, 
pianist, a woman doing up her hair, a man shaving, a 
boy batting a base ball or playing tennis, and so on. 
They should notice all the little characteristics, attitudes 
and movements not only of the body, arms and fingers, 
but of the face and imitate them with as close fidelity 
as they are able. 

75. Imitating by Voice and Gesture 

Imitation 

Have the children in turn imitate different charac- 
ters, as in the previous lesson, but employ speech as 
well as pantomime — a man telephoning, a conductor 

63 



Child Training 

collecting fares, a doctor prescribing for a patient, a 
hostess receiving guests. 

76. Two Part Acting 

Imitation 

Have two of the children act together and imitate 
as previously, a mother or nurse dressing a child, a 
v^oman being fitted for a dress, a gentleman calling on 
a lady. 

yj. Charades 



Have the children divide into two groups and each 
group in turn act a scene that is descriptive of a word 
or a play upon a word, while the other group tries to 
guess what is intended. 



64 



ASSOCIATION DRILLS 

The habit of associating and comparing whatever 
is observed with what is already in the mind is one 
of the most valuable of all mental functions, 
it depend imagination, memory ; originality, invention ; 
wit and humor; reason, judgment; abstraction, gener- 
alization, etc. In fact, simple observation, the simple 
recording of mental images of the outside world is of 
comparatively little value without association. Some 
children and people seem naturally to associate every 
mental image while others seldom do, but the habit can 
be developed by practice and is capable of the greatest 
possibilities. 

78. Associating Ideas 

Association 

Name a color — red, for instance — and ask each 
child in turn to name things that are red — fire, lips, a 
rose, rubies, etc. Then ask a child, pursuing the vari- 
ous associations in different directions, to tell what each 
of these things suggest — fire on the hearth, a build- 
ing on fire, etc. Then ask another child, starting with 
the color blue, in the same way to think of one thing 
that it suggests and another thing suggested by the 

65 



Child Training 

second association, and so on. Then ask him to give 
the last step reached, leaving out the intermediate steps. 
He should then explain by tracing his thoughts back- 
wards how he came to think of what he did. For 
instance, a child might say, " Blue — a tree that was 
struck by lightning," and explain that blue suggested 
sky; sky, clouds; clouds, storm; storm, lightning; and 
lightning the tree that was struck by it. Oftentimes 
an association is so instantaneous, that it is difficult 
to trace it back to its starting point. 

Repeat the previous exercise, using any object or 
topic as a starting point. Anything at all will do, — 
the window, pins and needles, a boat, dreams, an or- 
ange, moving pictures, excuses. Have the children 
practise association, especially at the conversation 
period, making as wide and varied mental associations 
as they can, but of that number selecting only those as- 
sociations that are of interest for telling. 

79. Riming 

Association 

This and the following exercise seem particularly to 
delight the heart of the child. It is just as well, there- 
fore, to let him try riming and punning even though 
both sound execrable to an older person. 

Suggest one line — a sentence or phrase — and have 
each child in turn originate a line to rime with it, thus 
for example: 

66 



Habit Drills — Association 

Teacher says: " I 'm the boy." 
Child, after thinking a moment and trying over a 
number of rimes says : 
" Who broke the toy." 

Teacher, to next child : " There was a girl." 
Child: " Who had a curl." 
Teacher : " In a house." 
Child : " There lived a mouse." 

80. Punning 

Association 

Say a sentence in which a word is used that has a 
double meaning and have each child in turn notice the 
word and use it in another sentence and in another 
sense. 

Following is a list of some words that may be so 
used: 

Flour, flower. So, sew. Pail, pale. Stair, stare. 
Week, weak. Ate, eight. Know, no. Knows, nose. 
Be, bee. New, knew. Blue, blew. Pair, pear. 
Hear, here. One, won. Red, read. Heal, heel. 
Cent, sent. I, eye. Son, sun. See, sea. Hole, 
whole. Through, threw, etc. 

81. Conundrums 

Ask the child the following conundrums and riddles 
and make sure he understands the answers and sees 
their point. 

67 



Child Training 

When are cooks cruel ? Ans. When they beat eggs 
and whip cream. 

What key is the hardest to turn? Ans. A don- 
key. 

Why do you always put on your left shoe last ? Ans. 
Because the last one is the left one. 

What is black and white and red (read) all over? 
Ans. The newspaper. 

What animal carries luggage? Ans. The elephant 
carries a trunk. 

Riddles 

What are the following? 

What is full of holes and yet holds water? 

Ans. A sponge. 

" Thirty white horses on a red hill, 
Now they tramp, now they champ, now they stand 
still." 
Ans. Teeth. 

" Old Mother Twitchett had but one eye, 
And a long tail which she let fly ; 
And every time she went through a gap, 
A bit of her tail she left in a trap." 
Ans. A needle and thread. 

" As round as an apple. 
As deep as a cup; 
68 



Habit Drills — ^Association 

And all the King's horses 
Can not pull it up." 
Ans. A well. 

" Humpty Dumpty sat On a wall ; 
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall; 
Not all the king's horses, nor all the king's men 
Could set Humpty Dumpty together again." 
Ans. An egg. 

82. Two Minute Conversation 
Association, Attention, Concentration 

Using the second hand of an ordinary watch, give a 
child a subject and have him start on the instant to talk 
about it, not stopping till " time " is called at the end 
of two minutes. A pause of any noticeable extent, 
more than is natural at the end of a sentence or to take 
breath counts as failure. For instance, the topic given 
might have been " Breakfast." Instantly the child 
might say, 

" I was late to breakfast this morning (and then 
continue on the associated line of thought), my nurse 
did not call me in time, she overslept," etc. 



69 



IMAGINATION DRILLS 

Imagination has been called the supreme intellectual 
faculty, for it plays a most important part in the prac- 
tical as well as in the esthetic life. Genius has been 
defined as the ability to imagine things that do not exist 
and wit is nothing but unexpected flashes of the imag- 
ination in seeing associations that are not obvious. 
The inventor, the discoverer, the originator must have 
imagination, the author and the poet, the painter and 
the musician must have imagination, and if we are 
ever to enjoy life and literature and art and music and 
the " works of the imagination " we must have it also. 
Accordingly, if the child in later life is to find " tongues 
in trees, books in the running brooks, sermons in 
stones," he must make an early beginning. 

The child's imaginative plays and fanciful stories 
will assist the growth of this faculty, but it should also 
be developed by encouraging the child in his make-be- 
lieve. Let him fancy his apple sauce is ice cream, his 
bread, cake and his glass of water, lemonade. Let him 
imagine the butterflies are sprites and that Jack-in-the- 
Pulpit is preaching to the elfin Johnny-jump-ups. 

But care should be taken to see that the child recog- 
nizes his make-believe as make-believe, and that it is 

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Habit Drills — Imagination 

not confounded with reality. This confusion often 
leads children into story telling with the idea to deceive. 
Children need not be discouraged in their romancing 
but they should be taught to offer their fairy tales as 
fairy tales and not as deceptions. Furthermore, they 
should return at once to the serious actualities at hand 
the moment they are required, for an unrestrained im- 
agination may lead to very serious consequences. 
With this warning sounded, however, healthy imagina- 
tion may prove of the greatest value. 

83. Describing Imaginary Scene 

Have a child go to the window and from that posi- 
tion give the class an account of what, in imagination, 
he sees there, for example, a circus parade. Pass a 
book or a newspaper round the class and give each child 
in turn a few minutes to " read " an imaginary story 
from it or describe an imaginary picture. 

84. Make Believe 

Ask the children to " make believe " that cer- 
tain things you are going to suggest are happening, and 
ask them to act accordingly. Then say, " Make believe 
it 's cold," or " Act as if it were freezing." The 
children might then turn up their collars, draw their 
heads down into their coats, put their hands over their 
ears, blow on their fingers, shiver, etc. 

Then make such suggestions, as, 

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Child Training 

It 's hot, 
It 's windy, 
It 's raining, 

It 's snowing, etc., and have them act as they might 
under such circumstances. 



7« 



ATTENTION AND CONCENTRATION DRILLS 

Many of the previous drills are also exercises in at- 
tention and concentration. A few special exercises, 
however, are particularly devised for forming this most 
important habit. 

As explained in the General Instructions, concentra- 
tion is best obtained by demanding speed, setting a 
time limit, and making all tasks " piece work." 

When, however, there is interest, attention and con- 
centration follow. Certain interesting drills requir- 
ing attention and concentration are here given, there- 
fore, so as to form the habit. 

85. Threading the Needle 

Give each child half a dozen needles and as many 
pieces of thread and have the class start on signal and 
see which is first to finish threading his needles. 

86. " Jack Strazvs " 

Have the children play at jack straws. Call atten- 
tion to the fact that breathing is a motion of the body 
which is observable even in the finger-tips and as there 
must be no motion in this game, other than the inten- 
tional one, it is necessary for each child to hold his 
breath while detaching a " straw " from the pile. Even 

7Z 



Child Training 

the beating of the heart may be perceptible in the 
fingers, but of course, this is uncontrollable. 

Sy. Dropping Medicine 

Teach the children to drop medicine out of a bottle. 
The throat of the bottle must first be wet with the 
liquid, either by pouring some out first or pouring it as 
far as the edge, stopping it there with the cork. The 
liquid should then be dropped without the aid of the 
cork, and each child directed to drop a certain number 
of drops, three, five, six, etc. 

88. Untangling a Snarl 

Give each child a piece of rope or heavy twine that 
has been purposely knotted, tied and snarled and have 
him unravel it, as promptly as possible. 

89. Rapid Copying Mid Distractions 

No matter how well a person can concentrate, tests 
show that he can always work more efficiently when 
free from distractions. The best conditions, there- 
fore, for study or any work requiring concentration 
are those that are removed from all noise and free 
from interruption. But though concentration is best 
obtained in quiet and undisturbed surroundings it is 
best taught mid distractions. 

For this exercise divide the class in half. Allow 
one-half to play and talk as they please, thus provid- 

74 



Habit Drills — Attention 

ing an actively distracting element, while the other 
half of the class is practising attention and concen- 
tration. Standing before this half of the class, go 
through various motions and have the children copy- 
promptly and accurately without any oral direction. 
Thus : Look down, up, to one side ; place your finger 
on your forehead, ear, mouth and other parts of the 
body; point to the comer of the room, put your arms 
akimbo, and so on, in as rapid succession as possible, 
not giving an opportunity for the child's attention to 
wander if he follows your lead. Then take the other 
half of the class in the same way. 

90. Answering Three Questions 

Ask each child in turn two unlike questions and 
have him answer them after both have been asked. 
Starting with but two simple questions increase the 
number and the complexity of the questions, thus: 

Teacher says, " I 'm going to ask you three ques- 
tions but I don't want you to answer them till I have 
finished asking all three. Then I want you to an- 
swer each question in the order in which it was asked. 
Now listen! 

"What color is this?" (She holds up a piece of 
ribbon.) 

" What is that ? " ( She points to a picture. J 

"Do you like milk?" 

The child should then answer, 

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Child Training 

" That is red." 

" That is a picture." 

" Yes, I like milk." 

91. "Stage Coach" 

Give each child a word, such as driver, whip, horses, 
wheel, door, etc., then tell a story in which you use 
these words. Every time you mention a word which 
a child has been given, that child is to stand up, turn 
round, and sit down and every time the word Stage 
Coach is mentioned all the children are to stand up, 
turn round and sit down. Thus, after explaining 
what is to be done, as above, the teacher starts out, 

" Once upon a time a man started off on a long 
journey in a Stage Coach. (Every child at the 
word stage coach, should jump up, turn round and sit 
down. The teacher, however, proceeds without paus- 
ing.) The Driver (here the child given the word 
driver, jumps up, turns round, sits down) cracked his 
Whip and the Horses started off at a trot — " and 
so on, till the stage coach runs into a ditch and turns 
over. 

In the same way any other group of words can be 
taken, such as house, window, door, stairs, chimney, 
ladder, etc., and a story be told of a house on fire. 



76 



Habit Drills — Attention 

92. Understanding Order and Counting Taps 
After explaining what you are going to do, give 
an order for the children to execute and while talk- 
ing, tap audibly with a ruler at intervals of about a 
second. The child is to strive to take in the order 
and count the number of strokes at the same time. 
For instance, the teacher says, 

" I am going to give you an order and tap with the 
ruler at the same time. I want you, when I have fin- 
ished, to do what I have told you without further ques- 
tion and to tell me also how many times I tapped." 
She then says slowly, " Ready — I want each of you 
(here she should begin to tap deliberately) to get as 
many pebbles out of the box as I am tapping, put them 
on the table before you and cover them with your 
right hand, so that no one else (about here she should 
stop) can see how many you have." 

93. Coimting and Clapping 
Beat time by tapping a ruler on the table and tell 
the children they are to clap their hands at every 3rd 
and 5th beat. They must, therefore, count to them- 
selves I, 2, clap, 4, clap. Then, before the rh5rthm is 
caught, which would do away with the necessity of 
attention, change the interval, and repeat the exercise. 
Then have the children stamp the foot at 3 and clap 
at 5, changing the interval as in the previous case be- 
fore the exercise becomes rhythmical. 

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Child Training 

94. Reciting a Poem and Counting Taps 

Call upon a child to recite a poem that he knows while 
during the recital you tap as previously. When he 
has finished ask him how many times you tapped. 

95. " Philopena" — Give and Take 

Have pairs of children " eat a philopena." Each 
pair link arms and eat a half peanut, or crumb of 
bread or anything by way of ceremony in forming a 

compact, saying " Give and Take for ," naming 

some forfeit, if there is to be one. After this, neither 
child must take anything handed him by the other. 
Each tries to hand the other something when off-guard 
— that is, not paying attention — and if it is taken, 
the one offering says " Philopena " and wins the for- 
feit agreed upon. 

96. " Philopena " — Yes and No 

Have pairs of children do as described above, but say 
" Yes and No," instead of " Give and Take." Each 
child then strives by skilful questioning to surprise the 
other into saying " Yes " or " No." 

97. Memorising 

Dictate a verse of a poem slowly and distinctly (use 
those given under Rhythmic Arts); repeat it a sec- 
ond time and ask a child to say it when you have fin- 

78 



Habit Drills — Attention 

ished. With practice of this sort, children will learn 
to say a stanza of several lines in length, after having 
heard it only once or twice. 

98. Repeating List of Words 

Tell the children you are going to name a number 
of different things and that you want to see who can 
repeat the entire list in the order given without a mis- 
take. Then, at the signal " Attention," name the fol- 
lowing or a similar list of words between which there 
is some association, calling each word twice distinctly 
and slowly, thus: House, door; door, street; street, 
wagon ; wagon, horse ; horse, dog ; dog, man ; man, bed ; 
bed, night ; night, Christmas ; Christmas, drum ; drum, 
noise; noise, steam cars; steam cars, smoke; smoke, 
dirt; dirt, soap; soap, water; water, milk; milk, cow; 
cow, tree; tree, birds; and so on. Then ask a child 
to repeat the list. This may seem more difficult than 
it really is. A child who has paid attention (they will 
oftentimes unconsciously close their eyes in order to 
concentrate) will usually be able to repeat a list of this 
sort of almost indefinite length. 

99. Hearing Simultaneous Orders 

Have two pupils start on signal and each give simul- 
taneously a different order to a single child previously 
selected for the drill. The child is then to execute 
both orders without further question. 

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Child Training 

100. Speaking and Listening Simultaneously 

Ask each child to get a short statement or piece of 
news ready in his mind, something to tell his next 
neighbor, not more than a sentence in length, such as, 

To-morrow is Thursday, 
It is a pleasant day, 
I am five years old. 

Have the children seated in a circle or round a table, 
then at the signal, " Now " have every child simul- 
taneously speak to his right-hand neighbor in an or- 
dinary conversational tone, the statement he has pre- 
pared, at the same time listening to what his left hand 
neighbor is saying to him. There should be no rep- 
etition, but when finished, each in turn, as called upon 
by teacher, should repeat what his left hand neighbor 
said to him and verify the statement. 



80 



FURTHER HABIT DRILLS 

The preceding drills are not by any means exhaust- 
ive but every teacher or parent who has gone through 
these should have so imbibed their spirit as to be ready 
to vary or extend them, or to originate other drills to 
suit the needs of her own particular case. 

Many habits are also formed by the activities pre- 
scribed for the following periods. For example, habits 
of courtesy, unselfishness, etc., are formed by Social 
Training; industry, accuracy, concentration, etc., by 
Manual Training and so on. 

One of the most valuable of all habits — the habit 
of initiative — must be inculcated not by infrequent 
drills, but by daily calling upon the child to suggest 
something, start something, do something, without the_ 
teacher specifying what or how. For this purpose it 
is best to call upon the children at the free play, man- 
ual training, rhythmic art or other period and especially 
upon those that are prone to copy and constantly wait 
for others to make a start or take the lead. 

Certain habits by their very nature cannot be staged 
for practice but must be inculcated as the occasion 
arises. For instance, we cannot train a child in self-con- 
trol under circumstances such as fear, because it would 

8i 



Child Training 

be manifestly improper to cause him terror for the pur- 
pose of practising him in self-control. On the other 
hand, it is perfectly feasible to drill the child in cour- 
age and fortitude by causing him bodily pain with the 
purpose of seeing how much he can stand without a 
whimper. This Spartan-like drill is not so cruel as it 
sounds and the idea comes from the children them- 
selves. I have known children to say, " You can't 
hurt me " and offer their arms for pinching, their hair 
for pulling, on the wager that they could not be made 
to cry out. Tests of this sort that work no bodily 
injury might be of great value in teaching courage and 
scorn of minor aches and pains and might develop a 
spirit that not only should stand the child in good 
stead throughout life, but should smooth the domestic 
way for the whole family. 

In order to prevent any danger that might arise from 
over habituation as described under " Breaking of 
Habits," it is well occasionally to act as follows : 

Alter the program so as to exchange periods, for 
instance, story telling for manual training or give les- 
sons at a different time of day. 

Vary the sequence of exercises or the forms or man- 
ner of execution. 

Give drills and exercises in a different room 
or different setting from usual. 

Let a visitor or substitute give a lesson or a whole 
day's program. 

82 




Photograph by Bachrach 



SOCIAL TRAINING 
'Introducing" — Teaching common courtesies 



PART II 
SOCIAL TRAINING 

We learn more from intercourse with our fellows 
than we do from any other one source. We receive 
information from them; we acquire both their good 
and bad traits and manners, by conscious and uncon- 
scious imitation ; we learn to bear and forbear ; we are 
forced to react upon their stimulus; in sheer self-de- 
fense we are roused into mental activity by fear of 
chagrin or shame at being outdone; we are put upon 
our mettle to keep the pace. 

It is for these reasons that the association of other 
children is so desirable, it stimulates reaction. 

A man may walk alone and dreaming down a side 
street, but when he comes to the teeming crowds of 
Broadway he must quickly come to attention and be on 
the alert, else he will have his pocket picked, be jostled 
out of his course, have his way blocked, miss his 
car, be run over by a cab. The newsboy's proverbial 
cleverness and general alertness is derived from the 
crowd, the result of dodging vehicles, watching for 
signals for papers, outwitting his competitors. 

Social intercourse raises a host of situations which 

85 



Child Training 

the child should learn how to meet and deal with, in 
order that he may get the most from that intercourse. 

If a regular program is observed each day with a 
fixed time for beginning the class, show children the 
position of the hands of the clock at the hour for 
commencing and tell them that they are to watch the 
clock for that time and precisely at that hour, with- 
out signal from their teacher, they must be in seats 
grouped in an irregular — not too precise — circle, as 
for a simple gathering. Children should not occupy 
the same position every day but arrange themselves ac- 
cording to personal choice, v^^ith due regard for the 
preferences of others, yielding to such preferences and 
endeavoring to favor others, as in special gatherings 
of grown-ups, rather than insisting on their own. 
These points are to be insistently drilled upon daily 
at this occasion till they become fixed daily habits. 

Children on arriving or coming down stairs for the 
first time in the day should greet parents, teachers and 
other children with, " Good Morning," and add some 
solicitous inquiry, cordial wish or gracious remark. 

Teach them the common forms and varieties, such 
as : " How are you to-day ? " "I hope you are feel- 
ing better." " Is n't this a lovely day? " etc., and sug- 
gest that they originate others, not stereotyped, to suit 
occasions. Don't let them omit this or be contented 
with the mere " Good Morning," till the habit is firmly 
fixed. A child who has acquired even this habit is al- 

86 



Social Training 

ready at an advantage and has learned a valuable les- 
son that is usually left to be picked up, if at all, much 
later in life. 

Any late comer should go at once to the hostess — 
the teacher — and apologize for being late, as for an 
adult dinner party or other function where prompt- 
ness is expected. 

At the hour for beginning, the children . should rise 
from seats, bow their heads in attitudes of reverence 
and recite, ensemble after the teacher the Lord's 
Prayer or some other classic prayer. By her attitude 
and suggestions rather than by explanation she should 
inspire in the children feelings of reverence, humility 
and awe for the big, majestic, sublime mysteries of the 
universe. She will be successful if she can, for a few 
minutes, raise them to the heights above the trivial 
and petty. 

Each child in turn, as a special privilege, should 
be allowed to select and lead the prayer, but the 
teacher should surrender the function of priestess, 
which is hers by right, only with great care. On 
ending the prayer the children should then in the same 
spirit sing a Te Deum, Gloria in Excelsis, Laudate 
Domini, or similar hymn of praise, something big — 
nothing denominational, sentimental or episodic. 

After the opening ritual the remainder of the pe- 
riod should be taken up with drills in common cour- 
tesies and general conversation. 

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Child Training 

COMMON COURTESIES 

Some of the common courtesies that are usually 
considered a sign of good breeding when found in 
children are mentioned below. They are obvious 
" good manners " but often their absence is excused in 
a child, or not even noted, because he is a child. On 
the other hand, for that very reason, they are all the 
more conspicuously pleasing when exhibited by a child. 
Formal drills as with habit drills can be given for each 
of these courtesies, without waiting for the occasion 
or opportunity to arise. 

1. One should always knock and wait for a re- 
sponding " Come in," before entering any closed 
door. In order to drill in this, send each child out 
of the room, have him knock and tell him to " Come 
in." 

2. Children should be careful not to pass in front 
of any one, unless compelled by circumstances to do 
so, when they should say, " Excuse me " or "I beg 
your pardon." Send each child across the room to 
fetch or carry something so that his direct path passes 
in front of others and he must therefore go around or 
say, " I beg your pardon." 

3. Boys should rise from their seats at the approach 
of their teacher, an older person, or one of their own 
number, if a girl. Practise this and the following 
courtesies by creating the situation described. 



Social Training 

4. Boys should wait for girls to be seated before 
sitting down themselves. 

5. Boys when going through a door should wait 
for girls or older persons to pass through first. 

6. A boy should offer his own chair to the teacher 
or to a girl, if there are no chairs nearby and fetch 
others if needed. 

7. A boy should pick up anything dropped by a girl 
and offer her assistance whenever there is an oppor- 
tunity. 

8. Each child by act or word should show regard 
for the desires, preferences and happiness of the 
others. 

9. All the children should be most careful to ac- 
knowledge any courtesy extended with a " thank you." 

10. They should never interrupt, or ask a question 
of two people who are conversing, but wait till they 
are finished. 

11. They should also practise introducing one an- 
other, using the simplest forms, for example: 

A , do you know B ? 

A , I want you to meet (or know) B . 

A , I want to introduce B . 

12. They should be sure to say good-by when leav- 
ing and by way of parting, express their thanks, plea- 
sure or appreciation. 

The above are some of the common occurrences of 
every day life and should not be left to untrained in- 

89 



Child Training 

stinct or to an occasional chance direction, but should 
be taught the child — by constant drill, if neces- 
sary. 

At the child's own meals he should of course be 
drilled in proper table manners but if a light luncheon 
is served to the group of children there is an added 
opportunity to practise the child in table courtesies and 
habits. The most important rules to have him ob- 
serve are the following : 

Wait for all to be seated. 

Help others first. 

Anticipate wants and pass food. 

Eat and drink noiselessly and cleanly. 

Chew thoroughly. 

Eat without haste or greed. 

CONVERSATION 

The whole class should then form a single group 
for conversation, or divide into two groups, if too 
large for all to participate, in which the usual con- 
versational rules should be strictly observed. Raising 
of hands, as in school, should have no place what- 
ever. 

Conversation is one of the chief distinctive attributes 
of human beings and from it perhaps more is learned 
— language, ideas, information — than from all other 
sources of knowledge put together. 



90 



Social Training 

Topics of Conversation 

Weather. The commonest of all topics of conversa- 
tion, the weather, may well be the first subject of the 
morning. To a child the subject is not banal as for an 
adult, and it does promote observation and comparison 
of the seasons, changes and meteorological conditions, 
a knowledge of the calendar, etc. This subject, there- 
fore, the teacher by general consent, should start, ask- 
ing, first of all, the day of the week and later, when 
taught, of the month — then what the weather is and 
the probabilities. 

Timely Topics. After the weather, seasonable and 
timely topics should be discussed. At the beginning of 
the month the teacher should introduce into the conver- 
sation a discussion of the characteristics of the season, 
the holidays or festivals to be celebrated, the events 
scheduled to take place, preparation to be made ( fore- 
sight), etc. Each of these should again form the topic 
of conversation as they occur, the teacher explaining 
their significance or supplying the historic or legendary 
information associated with their observance. 

Generalities. After the weather and seasonable and 
timely topics, which should always be the first order 
of the day, the conversation should be general — of 
personal happenings, news, observations, questions, 
opinions, and this is the time for each pupil to contrib- 
ute his one mite of interest or information sought for 

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Child Training 

and prepared, as hereafter directed — under rule 4. 
Here the teacher's part should be almost exclusively 
that of a trainer — seeing to it that all the rules of 
conversation are vigorously followed, but seldom 
should she enter the conversation, except on equal terms 
with the pupils. 

Information. After such general topics the teacher 
may give the information as planned in the chapter 
on that subject, if after experiment it seems a better 
arrangement than to devote a separate period to it. 

Opinions. At the end of the Conversational Period 
some time should be devoted daily to exacting opinions 
in regard to the matters that have been touched upon. 
This is an extremely valuable exercise, not only at this 
period but at table and other times, as it forces the 
lazy minded child into mental activity. It can be used 
to advantage with children of all ages. 

To exact opinions, ask each child in turn a question 
requiring an expression of an opinion and then his 
reason for holding it — ' such questions as : 

"Which do you like?" 

"How do you like it?" 

"Why do you like it?" 

It is extremely difficult at first to get any answer 
to the " why " question other than " because," or " be- 
cause I do," but the teacher should persist till the 
child has hunted about in his mind and made an effort 
to find the grounds for his opinion, for this is the ob- 

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Social Training 

ject of the question — to stir up thought, to overcome 
mental inertia and to form a habit that will be of great 
mental benefit. 

Rules of Conversation. 

The following are the most valuable conversational 
habits to be acquired. Children who have been drilled 

— and by drilled is meant habituated by daily practice 

— to observe the canons of conversation, will be at a 
tremendous advantage at the very start in their daily 
intercourse. At home the general rule — " Children 
should be seen and not heard " — and " Children should 
speak only when spoken to " — and later merely cor- 
rective injunctions as to what not to say, when not, 
and how not, turn a child out into the world without 
practice, without conversational habits and leave him 
to learn his lesson by inadequate and often costly ex- 
perience. 

As a rule, the teacher should take no part in the 
conversation unless she cannot help it. The chil- 
dren should converse with each other — not with the 
teacher. Her business is to stand ever ready and 
watchful to correct, direct and show how — that is 
all, but this oversight is very exacting, for it requires 
the strictest attention to the remarks and attitude of 
every child. 

The teacher should be given the preference in con- 
trolling the trend of the conversation, in having the 

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Child Training 

first and last word, but the children should converse 
among themselves. After the proper conversational 
habits have been formed the teacher should even with- 
draw from the group and busy herself about other 
matters, or watch the children as an onlooker, though 
remaining within ear shot, in case her presence should 
be needed. Her business is to see that the children 
observe the following rules and practise them till 
they become habits. 

1. Speak only when no one else is talking, never 
break in when another is speaking. 

2. Give others a chance, do not monopolize the con- 
versation when once in hand, do not speak more than 
once when others are anxious for an opportunity to 
speak. 

3. Eliminate the irrelevant or tedious and keep still 
otherwise. 

4. Say something when there is an awkward silence. 
Get the silent ones into the conversation by a direct 
question or appeal to them. 

5. Pay attention to the remarks of others and con- 
tinue them or answer them without contradiction. 

6. Observe the proprieties in making remarks or 
asking questions, 

7. Be truthful. 

8. Use courteous terms and manner of address. 
These various conversational rules are so important 

that it is well to consider some of them separately. 

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Social Training 

Any child is quick to see and appreciate the validity of 
all the conversational rules and, of course, their reason ' 
for being so should be explained — once — but it is 
the habit forming drill, here, as everywhere else in this 
training, that counts. 

I. Speak only when no one else — in the same 
group — is talking. 

This is one of the hardest rules for an interested 
child to observe and every one knows how com- 
monly necessary it is for grown-ups to say, " You 
shouldn't interrupt," "Don't you see I am talking?" 
" Wait till I finish," and yet the fault remains univer- 
sally unremedied because there is no drill on this spe- 
cific point and the occasional corrections from parents 
and teachers are not sufficient to form a habit. A 
parent will say, " I 've told him a thousand times he 
should n't break in, that it is the height of bad man- 
ners." Yes, but the child has violated the rule a 
thousand times with his own playmates and one more 
than offsets the other, for it is the habit that must be 
formed and the habit cannot be formed when he breaks 
the rule once, at least, for every time he observes it. 
Here again the first rule of habit forming must be 
vigorously carried out. In all his intercourse he must 
be watched and never allowed to violate the rule, no, 
not once, without immediate correction — until the 
habit is fixed. 

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Child Training 

If two start to speak at the same time or one inter- 
rupts, thinking the other finished, he should, of course, 
be taught to say, " I beg your pardon. What were 
you going to say? " Such a display of good manners 
will no doubt sound as unusual in children as it is com- 
monplace with grown-ups, and yet it is only what 
should be expected and is no mark of precocity — in- 
deed, its lack is simply the result of neglected train- 
ing. 

2 and 3. Do not monopolize the conversation. 

The garrulous young person is as bad as the old. 
Childish prattle is all right in its place for it serves a 
purpose — practice in language — but it is out of place 
in general conversation and, therefore, at this period, 
the prattler should be regularly and constantly sup- 
pressed till he has acquired the habit of controlling 
his babble. 

4. vS'a3; something. 

It is good practice for each child to bring in just 
one item of interest or value each day to contribute to 
the general fund. The gathering of a single worth 
while or interesting thing should be a regular daily re- 
quirement, a regular home preparation for the conver- 
sational period. 

The child accustomed to this requirement will be 
habituated to going about on the lookout for interest- 
ing and valuable subjects (the interest and value, of 

96 



Social Training 

course, will be comparative, only from the child's 
point of view) and this attitude once formed will be a 
most useful accomplishment, and the gradual accumu- 
lation of conversational matter will prove an asset 
that should stand him in good stead on other occasions. 
It is said that the apparently inexhaustible fund of 
original stories, of a man famous as a raconteur, was 
gradually collected in this way, he having formed the 
habit of looking each day for an incident or situation 
that, with possibly some elaboration, he could tell as 
an interesting story at his own home table. 

5. Pay attention to the remarks of others. 

The pupil should not only pay attention, he should 
show that he is paying both attention and interest. 
It is a general rule of the theater that every one on 
the stage shall look at the speaker and show by his 
expression or action that he is appreciating what is 
said. *' Eyes on the speaker " is an injunction that 
should, however, be followed in spirit rather than too 
literally. Children, when first endeavoring to observe 
this rule, are apt to respond with military snap, turn- 
ing the head towards the speaker with a jerk, as if 
given the command " Eyes right," " Eyes left," at 
first staring with exaggerated emphasis and then al- 
lowing their attention to wander. Of course, it is 
the courteous regard without distractions to other per- 
sons or things in the room that is wanted. In the case 

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Child Training 

of a tete-a-tete, especially in receiving orders or an- 
swering questions, " looking one squarely in the face " 
is the mark not only of courtesy but frankness. 

When the speaker has finished some question, reply 
or comment is in order to show that his remark at least 
has not been ignored. To change the subject abruptly 
is lacking in due respect. If a child tells with delight 
of the arrival of kittens at home, the next speaker 
should not announce as a counter-interest that he is to 
have a birthday party next week. Rather he should 
ask how many kittens there are, what they are like — 
before launching on the subject of his own affairs. 
This may seem a difficult lesson for a child to learn, 
but practice, not instruction, will make it second na- 
ture. 

6. Observe the proprieties in making remarks or 
asking questions. 

Children are very prone to " tell tales out of school," 
to mention personal or family affairs, that should be 
confidential; to describe home economies or extrava- 
gancies, family difficulties and even quarrels, to ask 
questions that are inquisitive or even impertinent, 
" How much did it cost? " or " What makes your eyes 
so red ? " 

7. Speak the truth. 

Children are naturally liars in the sense that they 
naturally make believe. They live in a story book 

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Social Training 

world, a world of fiction and especially in conversa- 
tion, in the effort to outdo another, they will frequently 
offer the product of their imagination as verities. Do 
not discourage their romancing but have them offer 
their fairy tales as fairy tales, not as deceptions. 

8. Be courteous in language and address. 

If the child asks a question, his tone and manner 
should be one expressing interest, not casual indiffer- 
ence. If he answers a question, his tone and manner 
should be courteous and cordial. 

The child is apt to be abrupt, to call attention by 
the monosyllabic, " Say," to contradict flatly, to omit 
" please," to forget " thank you," to say, " yes " and 
" no " to elders without adding the respectful 
Miss or Mr. . 

The child cannot be drilled too young to say — 
"Yes, Miss Smith," "No, Mr. Jones;" "Yes, 
father; " " No, Uncle John." There is no surer mark 
of good breeding — or the lack of it — than the invari- 
able use or omission of such terms of respect after these 
monosyllables. When, however, yes and no are used 
repeatedly, or at frequent intervals in a conversation, 
monotony should be avoided by change of expression, 
" No indeed," " Yes, thank you," or omitted altogether, 
for the sake of avoiding what might easily become 
exasperating by too frequent repetition. 

" Whispering in company " is most impolite. 

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Child Training 

SPEECH 

The language, enunciation and intonation of a child 
are formed almost entirely by example, by hearing and 
use, by his daily practice rather than by precept and 
rule. No occasion, therefore, is more important than 
the conversational period for training him in correct 
forms of speech, clear enunciation of the consonants, 
especially the final, and proper intonation. He is too 
young to be told why certain forms are grammatically 
incorrect and such explanation would be superfluous, 
but he should be corrected whenever he uses the wrong 
form and be insistently drilled in the use of the proper 
one. 

Intonation 

In the matter of intonation, the child should be told 
to put spirit and life into his remarks rather than be 
instructed in cut and dried or arbitrary tonal inflec- 
tions — dropping or raising the voice or emphasizing 
parts of sentences should not be taught by rule, but 
be prompted unconsciously by the feeling behind the 
remarks. 

A monotonous delivery, either when speaking or 
reciting, is the result of lack of spirit. Encourage 
the child to put spirit into his speech, imitate, use ges- 
tures, attitudes, facial expressions, exclamations, any- 
thing that will give life and interest. It is a platitude 
that a good story may be spoiled by a colorless, in- 

lOO 



Social Training 

sipid recital and the poorest story made telling if in- 
vested with vitality. It is not artificial, elocutionary 
effects that are desired in the child, but a spontaneous 
mirroring of the words in the tone of voice. 

Enunciation 

In the matter of enunciation, precision should be the 
rule. The teacher should be particularly watchful to 
see that the child does not elide final syllables and con- 
sonants, such as: ing, ow, etc. He should say, play- 
ijtg, not playin'; window, not winder; because, not 
'cus; door not do' ; neither in the last instance should 
the " r " be " burred " or rolled with unpleasant dis- 
tinctness. " Git " for " get " is a common mispro- 
nunciation in some sections. A before u, as in laugh 
and aunt, and before 1, as in half, palm, calm, psalm, 
etc., has no authority for any pronunciation but the 
broad sound, pronounced as a in arm, though in many 
parts of the country it is generally pronounced flat, 
the same way as " a " before other consonants. 

Voice 

Nasal, harsh or unpleasant tonal quality should be 
corrected wherever and whenever it occurs. There 
is a general lack of regard for this matter, due to the 
fact that most people are oblivious to the good and 
bad or make no conscious distinction except in exag- 
gerated cases. 

lOI 



Child Training 

If the children close their eyes or listen to speakers 
from another room, paying attention to the sounds 
and not to what is said, they may become aware of the 
varying qualities of speaking voices and the pleasing 
and disagreeable characteristics. 

Baby Talk 

The mispronunciation of words, due to inability to 
articulate or more usually to incorrect hearing, may 
be amusing and delightful on account of its simple 
naivete, but it should be corrected, and above all, should 
not be imitated by the parent or teacher. " Oo " and 
" 'ittle " may be cunning in a three year old, but it is 
silly for a grown-up to use such expressions in ad- 
dressing the three year old, like talking " pigeon " 
English to a Chinaman, but what is worse, it gives an 
incorrect model for the child, and thus prolongs the 
time he will take to speak correctly. Precision in 
the pronunciation of one's native tongue is always 
delightful at any age and an ear-mark of the well 
bred. 

Stammering, Stuttering 

Stammering and stuttering are merely bad habits 
of speech caused either by mental or physical disorder. 
Like all habits they are formed gradually and can be 
most quickly corrected at the beginning. The parent 
or teacher must therefore aim to form habits of de- 

I02 



Social Training 

liberation and correct utterance to take the place of 
the habit of stammering or stuttering and the follow- 
ing rules and drills should be found effective in form- 
ing these good habits and eradicating the bad. 

1. Remove the child from the companionship of 
any one who stutters or stammers ; the habit is conta- 
gious and oftentimes merely the result of imitation. 

2. Do not scold, punish nor ridicule the stammerer. 

3. Tell him he must always stop and take a deep 
breath before he starts to speak and always when 
he starts to stammer and at short intervals while speak- 
ing, so that he always speaks with the chest well filled. 

4. When he starts to stammer, simply say, 
" Wait ! " until he forms the habit of stopping in- 
stantly himself. 

5. Drill the child in repeating the vowel sounds by 
themselves, and in combination with consonants. 
Thus, have him say, " a, a, a, ba, ba, ba, ca, ca, ca, 
da, da, da," etc., and " e, e, e, be, be, be, ce, ce, ce," 
and so on, for two or three minutes on rising, before 
retiring, and before meals. 

6. Note the particular sounds or combination of 
sounds with which he has difficulty and practise him in 
saying such combination a given number of times as 
a daily or more frequent exercise. 



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Child Training 

Lisping 

In the case of lisp-ing, practise the child in saying 
syllables and words in which a lisp occurs till he is 
able to pronounce such words without a trace of the 
" th " sound. 



104 




Photoarapli by Jiaclii-ach 

STORY TELLING 
"The Story on a 'Willow' Plate" — Training the imagination 



PART III 
STORY TELLING 

KIND OP STORIES 

Story telling may be made a most powerful factor 
in the child's educational development. To serve this 
purpose, however, the stories selected must not be the 
kind that merely entertain, they must have some educa- 
tional point — such are : 

Hero stories and those dealing with courage, truth 
and other virtues — for forming character. 

Fanciful tales — for stimulating the imagination, 
giving a delight in the world and raising the prosy na- 
ture above the literal, common sense, matter of fact, 
banal. 

Humorous and nonsense stories — for giving the 
child the ability to get fun out of life and as an antidote 
for the dreary attitude of over seriousness with which 
some metallic natures without warmth or feeling are 
affected and in whose serious scheme of education 
there is no place for humor or nonsense. 

The most useful and important stories are those 
that inspire emulation of a model, or fire ambition, 
as described in General Instructions. 

But it is not necessary that a story should be with- 
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Child Training 

out human or animal villains to make it fit for a child 
to hear. On the contrary, it is part of education's 
business to make the child aware that there is evil as 
well as good in the world and that both must be 
reckoned with. 

The stories next in importance are those that incite 
the imagination. Fairy tales and fiction are the best 
stories for training this quality, which Norton calls 
" the supreme intellectual faculty." A child who is 
only interested in real stories should be enticed into 
liking fiction, for the former attitude is an evidence 
of a prosy, matter of fact mind that is lacking in 
imagination and needs the influence and training that 
fairy tales can give. 

Stories that describe horrors, bogies or anything 
that might incite the fears of the child, or play un- 
wholesomely upon his emotions — tales such as bad 
nurses are reputed to tell, in order to intimidate or 
scare the child into submission — should, of course, be 
carefully avoided. 

Likewise, tales that make wrong attractive should 
not be told to children. Indeed, since aiiy ideas, 
whether good or bad, as already stated, tend to take 
form in act, bad quaHties should be mentioned, 
if necessary for the sake of contrast, only with the 
most extreme caution. 

Common sense, however, should be exercised in cen- 
soring and expurgating, for there is hardly a good 

1 08 



Story Telling 

story in existence with which some fault could not be 
found by the hypercritical, though the dangers are 
usually only hypothetical or theoretical and not real. 
The parent who objected to the song of " Three Blind 
Mice," on the ground that it taught cruelty to animals 
because the farmer's wife " cut off their tails with a 
carving knife," is an example of the absurdities into 
which such serious minded censorship may lead. 

Informational stories — lessons masking under a 
story form — are bad from every point of view. 
Facts about nature, science, etc., are better and more 
effectually taught in direct ways and the story form 
should be reserved for the purposes it best serves. In- 
formation spoils a story and the story form spoils in- 
formation. 

Bearing the above points in mind and regarding 
them, the parent or teacher should be able to select 
stories from a wide variety of sources, and it should 
not be very difficult for her to invent stories that would 
conform to the above principles and appeal to the 
children. Many good stories are made up, sponta- 
neously improvised for an occasion, or told extempore, 
that would fall flat if put in print. For educational 
purposes, therefore. 
Stories should be : 

Hero or moral 

Fanciful or 

Humorous, and 

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Child Training 
They should not be: 

Informational, except incidentally 
Deal with bogies, or 
Make wrong attractive. 

For the sake of holding the child's interest, stories 
to be most successful, that is, best from the young 
child's point of view, should have the following qual- 
ities : 

Action — something happening all the time 

Mystery 

Repetition — recurrence of a stock phrase 

Fitting conclusion — " and they lived happily ever 
afterwards." The story should be finished off and 
completed and the child not be left in doubt as to what 
was the final outcome. 

METHOD OF TELLING 

The story may be read to the child but it is better 
for the parent to acquaint herself with the story and 
then tell it as vividly as she is able, for a told story 
is worth much more than one read. In telling a story 
to a child the teller should enter into the spirit of the 
story, telling it in dead earnest, as seriously as if she 
believed every word of it herself, displaying genuine 
wonder, deep concern, and so on, but without affecta- 
tion or exaggeration of manner. If she can do so 

no 



Story Telling 

simply and naturally, without effort, she may imitate 
and mimic the characters in a story but she should tell 
the story and not act it out — a form of mistaken 
zeal which results in clumsy absurdities. 

The teacher should have a new story for each day 
and one new story a day is enough, if it is to make any 
impression or serve any purpose other than entertain- 
ment, but repeat an old one if, on asking the class, a 
majority prefer it. A child may be allowed to tell an 
old story and occasionally a new one or an original 
one, as this affords excellent practice in the language 
and dramatic arts. A few minutes should be allowed 
for discussion on completion of the story, to ask ques- 
tions, and to make comment and comparisons. 

LIST OF STORIES AND STORY BOOKS 

The following is a list of books that contain suitable 
stories for children from four to six. Many of the 
stories occur in several of the collections, as is to be ex- 
pected, and unfortunately no collection is complete or 
sufficient in itself, so that a teacher or parent should 
possess one or more of the books, selecting them in 
about their order in the list below : 

Bible Stories 

Forbidden Fruit Gen. iii, i-6 

Expulsion from Eden Gen. iii, 12-24 

Cain and Abel Gen. iv, 1-15 

III 



Child Training 

The Flood Gen. vi, 13-22 ; vii : 

viii 

Abraham and Isaac Gen. xxii, 1-18 

Rebekah at Well Gen. xxiv 

Esau and Jacob Gen. xxvii 

Jacob's Ladder Gen. xxviii, 10-32 

Joseph Sold Gen. xxxvii 

Joseph Ruler Gen. xlii-xlv 

Moses Found Ex. ii, i-io 

Moses Before Pharaoh Ex. vii-xi 

Passover Ex. xii, xiv 

Balaam's Ass Num. xxii, 20-35 

Samson and the Philistines Judges xvi, 13-31 

Infant Samuel I Sam. iii 

David and Goliath I Sam. xvii 

Absalom , II Sam. xviii, 4-33 

Barrel of Meal and Cruse of Oil. .1 Kings xvii 

Elijah and Fiery Chariot II Kings ii, 1-14 

Job's Sorrows Job i, ii, xlii 

Fiery Furnace Dan. iii, 8-30 

Daniel in the Lions' Den Dan. vi, 16-28 

Wise Men Matt, ii, 1-12 

Christmas , Luke ii, 1-21 

Jesus Stills Storm Mark iv, 35-41 

Jesus Heals Girl Mark v, 21-43 

Rich Young Man Mark x, 17-23 

Forgives Seventy Times Seven . . . Matt, xviii, 21-35 

Good Samaritan Luke x, 30-37 

Widow and Two Mites Mark xii, 41-44 

Prodigal Son Luke xv, 11-32 



112 



Story Telling 



Boston Collection of Kindergarten Stories 

Dora, The Little Girl of the Lighthouse 

The Honest Woodman 

The Three Bears 

The Little Rooster 

The Man on the Chimney 

The Lion and the Mouse 

The Three Gold Fishes 

The Lost Lamb 

The Hare and the Tortoise 

Diamonds and Toads 

North Wind and the Sun 

The Echo 

The Ugly Duckling 

The Hen-Hawk 

A Lesson of Faith 

The Fox and the Grapes 

Stories to Tell to Children 

The Gingerbread Man 

How Brother Rabbit Fooled the Whale and the Ele- 
phant 

The Story of Epaminondas and His Auntie 

The Boy Who Cried " Wolf ! " 

The Little Jackal and the Alligator 

The Elves and the Shoemaker 

The Brahmin, The Tiger, and The Jackal 

The Talkative Tortoise 

The Little Jackal and the Camel 



113 



Child Training 

Tell It Again Stories 

Gretchen and The Magic Fiddle 

The Princess and Her Golden Ball 

Cinderella and the Glass Slipper 

Arthur and the Sword 

The Bell of Atri 

The Birds of Killingworth 

Kindergarten Story Book 

Ludwig and Marleen 

What Happened on the Road to Grandfather Good- 
field's 

Billy Bobtail 
The Fairy Shoes 
Picciola 

How TO Tell Stories to Children 

Raggylug 
The Pig Brother 

The Pied Piper of Hamelin Town 
Why the Evergreen Trees Keep Their Leaves in 
Winter 

List of Books with Stories for Children Under 
School Age 

Bible 

Grimm 

For the Children's Hour Bailey and Lewis 

Boston Collection of Kindergarten 

Stories J. L. Hammett Co. 



114 



Story Telling 

Stories to Tell to Children Bryant 

Tell It Again Stories Dillingham and Em- 
erson 

Kindergarten Story Book Hoxie 

How to Tell Stories to Children. .Bryant 
Kindergarten Stories and Morning 

Talks Wiltse 

The Story Hour Wiggin and Smith 

Fables and Folk Stories Scudder 

Book of Fables Stickney 

In the Child's World Poulsson 

Five Minute Stories Laura E. Richards 

More Five Minute Stories Laura E. Richards 

The Fairy Ring Wiggin and Smith 

Big Book of Nursery Rhymes Douglas Jerrold 

Big Book of Fables Douglas Jerrold 



IIS 




Fhotograph by IJaelUiuli 



PHYSICAL TRAINING 
"Down, Up" — Developing the body 



PART IV 

PHYSICAL TRAINING 

HEALTH REQUISITES 

Every parent appreciates the superlative importance 
of the slogan "Health First!" Without health 
first, all the mental education and book learning in 
the world are of little value. To be a good animal is 
the fundamental requisite on which to build an educa- 
tional superstructure. But it is far from sufficient, as 
many parents think, merely to let the child " run wild " 
out of doors, or to harden him by exposure. Rous- 
seau even advocated sending the child out in leaky 
shoes to accustom him to exposure, but such treatment 
is too heroic for young children, especially at the pe- 
riod of rapid growth between four and five as there 
is risk of bringing on rheumatic endocarditis and other 
chronic troubles. 

On the other hand, strange to say, the children that 
have the most care and attention often seem to be the 
most prone to colds, digestive upsets and other dis- 
orders. Even children that have their daily fresh air 
walk and out of door plays are often merely bundled 
up sensitive plants, susceptible to every draft, raw 

119 



Child Training 

wind, damp corner and change of temperature, to an 
overlooked undergarment, muffler or overshoes. 

But physical stamina and active health, the kind 
that reacts and throws off, that is not affected by slight 
changes of temperature or atmosphere, that is flexible, 
elastic, rebounding, is not obtained by any hardening 
process that consists simply of mere exposure to wind 
and weather. Hardening should not be from the out- 
side, but from the inside — by storing up physical en- 
ergy and stamina in heart, lungs and muscle. 

The most important things for the child's physical 
well being are: 

Plenty of fresh air. All night and during the 
child's active day he should be in the open or practi- 
cally so. His sedentary occupations may be indoors 
— if any must be. Too often children are sent to 
classes which are conducted out of doors with great 
difficulty, inconvenience and handicaps for two or 
three hours a day and then are kept indoors for the 
remaining twenty-one hours, when they could much 
more readily and with vastly greater benefit be kept 
out the twenty-one and in the three hours. 

Plenty of exercise, but not too much. 

Plenty of sleep. A child from four to six years of 
age should have twelve to thirteen hours sleep out of 
the twenty-four. 

Cold baths. A cold bath or sponge on rising helps 
to ward off colds. 

1 20 



Physical Training 

Regular meals. Between meal " snacks " are de- 
structive to good health. 

Mixed diet. Eggs, milk, cereals, meats, vegetables 
and fruits. Sweets should be rarely permitted, pastry 
avoided, and tea and coffee, pickles, vinegar, spice and 
other condiments prohibited altogether. 

Care of eyes. Near sightedness is now thought to 
be largely the result of strain during the growing 
period. During this period the outer envelope of the 
eye ball is more or less soft and easily stretched by the 
focusing muscles of the eye ball. Continued stretch- 
ing results in a permanent strain, the effect being near 
sightedness. Strain is brought about by too close or 
too long application to fine work, or by using the eyes 
in dim light or in glaring light. A child should not 
be allowed to look at pictures or play or work with 
fine materials at twilight, in a dark corner, in his own 
shadow, or in the direct sunlight, or with the sunlight 
reflected into the eyes from a bright surface. 

Astigmatism is an irregularity in the curve of the 
front of the eye, making objects seem blurred instead 
of clear cut. It should be corrected by the use of 
glasses at least during the child's growing period, as 
without glasses there is a strain in the attempt to focus 
more clearly and near sightedness results. After the 
growing period when near sightedness is no longer to 
be feared, the glasses may then be laid aside, if the as- 
tigmatism is not too great. 

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Child Training 

Eyes should not be rubbed. When there is any- 
thing in the eye pull upper lid down over lower and 
blow nose. 

Care of teeth. Tests have shown that the condi- 
tion of the teeth has a marked effect on both the men- 
tality and the state of health of school children. Put- 
ting the teeth in good condition and maintaining them 
so more than doubled the mental efficiency of those 
tested. 

The " milk teeth," the child's first teeth, should be 
kept in as long as possible; this makes the permanent 
teeth more regular and the shape of the mouth and 
jaws more perfect. 

At the age of two the use of a soft tooth brush 
should be begun. 

The teeth should be cleaned up and down — not 
across — with brush, using tooth paste at night and 
antiseptic wash in the morning. 

Teeth should not be picked with pins or anything 
metallic or hard, dental floss is best; nor should one 
crack nuts or bite off thread or eat anything very sour 
or very hot. 

If there are any irregularities in the growth of the 
teeth they should be promptly corrected by a dentist. 
Between six and twelve, during which period the per- 
manent teeth appear, the jaw is quite plastic and ir- 
regularities may readily be corrected. 

122 



Physical Training 



TABLE OF GROWTH 



Measure and weigh your children in the autumn and 
six months after in the spring, keep the record and 
compare with the following figures, which are estimated 
from various incomplete sources but are approximate. 





BOYS 


GIRLS 


Age 


Average 
Height Weight 


Average 
Height Weight 


4 
5 
6 

7 


38 inches 
40^ inches 
43 inches 
45 inches 


38 lbs. 
42 lbs. 
46 lbs. 
50 lbs. 


37^ inches 
40 inches 
42^ inches 
44^ inches 


36 lbs. 
40 lbs. 
44 lbs. 
48 lbs. 



Summer is the growing season for children, as well 
as for plants and accordingly, a greater proportionate 
growth will show for the summer than for the winter. 
A child from four to seven years of age increases 
about 2 inches in height, and 4 pounds in weight 
each year, chiefly during the summer. 



EXERCISES 

Exercises adapted and developed from the child's 
own play interests are more effective than those that 
have been devised with the special purpose of exercis- 
ing certain muscles without consulting the child's likes 
or dislikes. What is done with the heart in it, with 

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Child Training 

the game spirit, prompted by nature, is done much 
more efficiently and with vastly less fatigue than what 
is imposed and arbitrarily exacted without consulting 
nature. 

But there is a certain class of exercises — specific 
drills for developing certain traits or correcting mal- 
tendencies, that may best be given directly. Free 
play will provide much of the physical training neces- 
sary, but in order to make sure that the development is 
well rounded and properly balanced, that no part is neg- 
lected or slurred, free play should be supplemented by 
certain systematic drills. Neither rhythmic move- 
ments, dancing nor romping will as effectually serve 
the purpose of strengthening weak muscles or correct- 
ing physical deficiencies. Most children are round- 
shouldered, knock-kneed, stand, sit and walk incor- 
rectly, and are in need of abstract calisthenics that 
will form correct habits of posture, make them handle 
themselves properly and develop each member of the 
body so that it may perform adequately its proper 
functions. 

These exercises should be short as they are to the 
point and they should precede the recreative free play 

— those exercises that are disguised under some play 
interest. The teacher should be cautious not to overdo 
these exercises, or carry them to the point of fatigue 

— a little goes a long way. 

Teach the children all of these various exercises 
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Physical Training 

and drills and put them through a part or all of them 
each day, depending on the child, whether he can stand 
the whole sequence without fatigue or not. 

With these exercises there is no object in introduc- 
ing novel or greatly varied drills from time to time. 
The point lies in their regular execution, day in and 
day out, month after month without fail. 

The teacher or parent should bear in mind that the 
object of these exercises is not to increase muscular 
power beyond what is normal for the child's age, but 
to form correct habits of carriage and posture, correct 
any maltendencies and maintain an even, all around 
development consistent with the child's growth. 

Erect carriage in children is absolutely essential to 
correct growth and proper development. The upright 
position is characteristic of the human race and of 
health and efficiency. Incorrect carriage invites all 
sorts of pulmonary troubles. The mentally deficient 
and sub-normal have a characteristically defective 
posture. 

For the sake of both health and appearance the up- 
right position described below should be cultivated. It 
is hardly to be expected that the rigidly erect position 
will be, or can be, maintained indefinitely, but con- 
stant practice in assuming this position and holding 
it throughout formal drills, recitations and on similar 
occasions will not only form the habit of holding one- 
self correctly but develop the muscles to bring about 

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Child Training 

this habitual mihtary erectness that is so noticeable 
among army men of all nations, not only on dress 
parade but at all times. 

EXERCISE I 

Sitting Postures. 

Give the command, 

" Upright." At the command, have each child 
while sitting take an erect position, the head and chin 
drawn back, the points of the shoulders turned back, 
the spine away from the chair, the chest forward, the 
stomach drawn in, the hands resting in the lap, the feet 
on the floor. 

Give the command, 

"At Ease." At the command, have each child 
first sit hack as far as possible in his chair, then relax 
his body somewhat; crossing his feet or knees and 
resting his hands naturally and comfortably. 

EXERCISE 2 

Standing Positions. 

Give the command, 

" Stand Upright." At the command, have each 
child stand with a lean slightly forward from the 
heels so as to throw the weight of the body on the balls 
of the feet, the knees and heels touching or slightly 
apart and the feet pointing nearly straight ahead, the 
hands hanging by the side with palms to the body, the 

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Physical Training 

head, chin, chest, shoulders and stomach in the same 
position as for sitting. 

" Toeing out " which used to be demanded, invites 
flat foot and broken arches. " Indian footed," that 
is with feet pointed nearly straight ahead is the only 
position in which the arches of the feet can stand the 
most strain and fatigue from walking, running or 
standing. (See illustration facing page 3 for correct 
position of feet) 

The natural curves of the head, neck, back and legs 
should follow in general a straight line axis from head 
to heel when viewed from the side, not quite a ver- 
tical one but one tilted slightly forward so that the 
center of gravity of the body will come squarely over 
the center of its support — the feet. Test the child on 
this position by giving him a sudden, unexpected touch 
from in front — not a push but merely a touch with a 
finger. If he loses his equilibrium he has not been 
standing with his body swung forward enough. He 
must be careful, however, not to bend forward from 
the waist or neck — the general direction of the back 
line should be straight, from head to heel, not bent. 

Of course, by a " straight back " is not meant a 
straight line back. The hollow or incurve above the 
hips known as the small of the back should be main- 
tained, but at the same time it should not be exagger- 
ated. The usual tendency for a child when told to 
stand erect is to throw back the shoulders and at the 

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Child Training 

same time throw forward the stomach. This should 
not be. 

To test the proper position of the shoulders run the 
hand over the child's back. It should feel flat and free 
from the projections or wings which the shoulder 
blades make when the points of the shoulders are not 
held back. A person is called " round shouldered " 
when the shoulder points droop forward, and the 
blades stick out in back as a consequence. 

As fully half of a child's time at this age is spent in 
bed, correct or incorrect posture is in a great degree 
influenced by his manner of sleeping. 

It is natural for a child of this age to sleep flat on 
his stomach with his face turned either to the right or 
left, or else flat on his back. In either case no pillow 
should be used, as it would distort the head. If, how- 
ever, the child sleeps habitually on the side, it is just 
as imperative that he should have a pillow to fill the 
space made between shoulder and head, to prevent 
distortion and strain on the neck glands and muscles. 

Give the command, 

" At Ease." At the command have each child re- 
lax the position of attention somewhat and rest the 
weight of the body on either leg, one of which may be 
advanced to the front or placed to the side. One or 
both hands may be put behind the back, on the hips 
or in belt but not in pockets. The latter position is 
objectionable as it throws the shoulders forward. 

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Physical Training 

The position " at ease " is permissible only in in- 
formal situations and occasions but even then should 
not become a slouch. On all formal occasions, how- 
ever, as when addressing an older person or when re- 
spect or courtesy is to be shown, all careless positions 
and especially lounging postures — leaning against a 
door or wall, a table, a chair — are discourteous. At 
the same time the posture should be free from the 
butler-like stiffness or regularity that is a mark of 
servility. 

Repeat the commands, " Upright " and " At Ease," 
and practise children in assuming and losing the 
upright position till it can be taken properly and at 
will. 

EXERCISE 3 

Calisthenic Drills. Each of these drills should be 
done from six to a dozen times, but not overdone. 
Over-exercise may cause heart dilatation and fatigue 
is dangerous. 

The correct upright position already described is the 
first and absolute essential if the exercises are to have 
the effect intended. 

Between each drill have the child take three or four 
long, deep breaths. 

Drill I. Szving Arms Front to Back. This is for 
the chest and shoulders. Give the command, 

" Ready " and have the children imitating you, or a 
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Child Training 

child appointed leader, stretch hands to the front with 
palms touching. Count, 

" I, 2 ; 3, 4; " and so on up to 6 or more, and have 
children keeping time with the count, carry extended 
arms back horizontally as far as possible, while rising 
at same time on toes, then clap hands in front. 

Drill 2. Bend Forward. This is for the trunk 
muscles. Give the command, 

" Ready," and have the children place hands on hips, 
thumbs back, elbows back. Count, 

" I, 2; 3, 4; " and so on up to 6 or more and have 
the children keeping time with the count bend at the 
hips, and not at the waist, as far forward as possible 
and then back. 

Be careful to have them keep head in alignment 
with body — not pitch it forward, nor cave in chest. 

Drill 3. Bend Side to Side. Have the children do 
similar exercise to right and left side alternately. 

Drill 4. Touch Ground with Hands. This is for 
the back. Give the command, 

" Ready," and have the children take the position 
with hands held up over head as high as they can 
reach. 

Say, 

" Down, Up," and have the children suiting the ac- 
tion to the word sweep their hands down towards 
ground, bending at hips, but not bending the legs, 
and then return to first position. 

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Physical Training 

Drill 5. Squat. This for the legs and balance of 
body. Give the command, 

" Ready," and have the children take position with 
hands on hips, thumbs back. Say, 

" Down," " Up," and have the children lower trunk 
vertically, bending at knees and then rise to first posi- 
tion. 

Drill 6. Down, Up and Twist. This is for the 
whole trunk. Give the command, 

" Ready," and have the children take position with 
feet spread apart and with both arms extended di- 
rectly to front and hands clasped. 

Say, 

" Down," " Up," and have the children, suiting the 
action to the word, swing their clasped hands down 
between their legs, then up with a twist round to the 
right. Then with a twist back to the front, have them 
swing down and up again, with a twist round to the 
left. 

Drill 7. Flap. This is for the lungs, heart and a 
variety of muscles. Give the command, 

" Ready," and have the children take " Upright " 
position. Count, 

" I, 2; 3, 4;" etc., and have the children, keeping 
time with the count, jump to a position with both feet 
spread far apart, at the same time swinging both arms 
sidewise directly overhead, then jump back to first 
position and repeat. 

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Child Training 

Drill 8. Breathe Deep and Long. Breathing ex- 
ercises. Give the command, 

" Stretch," and have the children slowly raise arms 
sidewise over head and draw in breath through nose 
while doing so, then as slowly exhale. Repeat three 
or four times. A child who has difficulty in breathing 
through nose should be examined for adenoid growths. 

EXERCISE 4 

Walking. Have the children practise walking in 
single file, preferably to music. They should keep step, 
the left foot keeping time with the musical accent. At 
first, however, it will be sufficient to see that they step 
in rhythm with the music without regard to which 
foot is first. Beat time on a drum or have them clap 
their hands with each and every foot-fall until they are 
able to keep step with the beat and with a fair degree 
of precision. Then they should clap on every other 
foot-fall — the left. A ribbon tied round the right 
arms of the children who do not know their left from 
their right or are uncertain or hesitating will help to 
teach them these fundamental positions, but the rib- 
bon should always be used to identify the same side, 
the right. It should not be used to mark the right 
one time and the accented foot the next. 

The leaders — those selected for their ability to keep 
both the time and the step — may be given a drum, 
an orchestral triangle or a clapper, which they may 

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Physical Training 

sound as they march, in imitation of a street parade 
led by a band. 

As the children become expert in keeping step with 
the music, change the time from 2-4 to 3-4 and when 
they are practised in keeping step to this with a long, 
swinging gait, alternate 2-4 and 3-4 time and drill them 
till they can and will instantly change their step with 
the changed time without oral direction. This requires 
considerable training of the rhythmic sense and makes 
strong demand on the attention but adds much interest 
and zest to the exercise, especially if the time is 
changed abruptly and unexpectedly after a few meas- 
ures and then again after a longer interval, so that 
the game spirit is injected into the march and the chil- 
dren are kept on the alert not to be caught out of 
step by any sudden change. 

As the children march, correct their manner of step- 
ping and holding themselves. They should, of course, 
hold themselves erect, swing their arms naturally, 
parallel to the body, with thumbs to the front. They 
should not swing them across the body in front like 
a swaggerer, nor behind like a prim ; they should tread 
firmly, neither tip-toeing nor heeling, not heavily with 
a jar at each step but with elasticity and spring. 

Have them circle the room single file, then march 
down the center. Have them keep directly behind 
each other and at arm's length distance from the one 
in front, not by measuring with the arm extended, but 

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Child Training 

gaging the distance with the eye. This is an im- 
portant detail not only for appearance sake but for at- 
tention and control. On reaching tlie end of the room 
have them separate, the first child going to the right 
and the next to the left, and so on alternately. The 
two lines thus formed should continue down the sides 
of the room till they meet at the other end; they 
should then march down the center two and two, and 
the alternate pairs should separate to right and left at 
the end of the room and so on, till four or eight pupils 
march abreast. Then reverse the process, the fours 
separating into pairs and the pairs into individuals, 
till the original single marching order is reached. 
Other marching orders may be readily devised. 

EXERCISE 5 

This is a Variation of the Walking Drill. With 
the children marching in single file, give order, 

" Hands on hips." Have children place their hands 
in this position and continue march. Then give order, 

" Hands behind head." Have children clasp hands 
behind head with elbows pressed as far back as pos- 
sible. Then give order, 

" Tip-toe." Have the children tread only on the 
balls of the feet, the heels not touching. Then give 
order, 

" Skip." Have the children skip. Be careful to 
have them skip on their toes not on their heels and 

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Physical Training 

when raising each foot to have the toe not the heel 
pointed downward. Have them skip also in couples, 
holding each other by the hand. Then give order, 

" Run." In running the children should always 
tread on the balls of the feet, never allowing the heel 
to touch, and swing the arms bent at the elbow, alter- 
nately across the chest. 

EXERCISE 6 

Obstacle Race. Arrange in a circular or S shaped 
line around the room the following objects, in about 
the order indicated and from five to ten feet apart. 

A chair, 

An Indian club or ten-pin. 

Three or four small chairs a foot apart, — the in- 
terval to be gradually widened, 

A kindergarten table, 

A drum, held by teacher at height of child's head, 

A jumping rope suspended between two chairs, 

A bell suspended a foot or more above a child's 
head, 

A spring board tied down to two chairs which sup- 
port it at either end, 

A rail, 

A hoop held by pupil, 

A kindergarten table. 

Then have children start and step on to chair and 
down again, hop over Indian club or ten-pin, without 

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Child Training 

knocking it down, step from chair to chair arranged 
at wider and wider intervals like stepping stones, or 
from circle to circle chalked on the floor or ground, 
crawl under table, kick drum held by the teacher in 
mid-air, being ordered to do so first with right foot 
then on next time round with left, hurdle on the run 
the jumping rope, tap in passing the bell held high, 
jump on to the spring board and off, walk the rail, walk 
crouching through hoop, vault table or fence, pick up 
book or other object from floor and put it on the 
table. 

EXERCISE 7 

Jumping Rope. Have the children jump rope, first 
running through without letting it touch, then jumping 
once and running out, then twice and so on. All such 
exercises involving hopping or jumping on oae or both 
feet, should be done on the toes to avoid jar and 
awkwardnfess. This is an excellent exercise for the 
lungs, back, legs, ankles and toes, for rhythmic move- 
ment, poise and grace. 

For children of this age, however, it should be only 
moderately indulged in, as it is apt to be overdone and 
thus become a strain on the heart. 

EXERCISE 8 

Tug of War. Appoint a leader for each side. Each 
leader takes hold of an end of a rope and chooses in 

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Physical Training 

turn, one child at a time, to take hold of the rope on 
his side. A line is then made on the ground at the 
center of the rope and at a signal from the teacher, the 
two sides pull against each other till one side succeeds 
in pulling the last man — the leader — of the other side 
over the line that has been made. 



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I'hotograph by Baclirach 

RHYTHMIC ARTS 
"Folk Dancing" — Giving grace, poise, rhythmic sense 



PART V 
RHYTHMIC ARTS 

The Rhythmic Arts include rimes, songs, singing 
games and dances. They supply the most effective 
means of advancing the child's esthetic life. 

The rimes are classics as are also the singing games 
and folk dances, but the best child's songs, with one 
or two exceptions, are modern. 

RIMES 

The following nursery rimes are most suitable for 
a child to hear and to learn. Elocutionary effects that 
are not prompted from the inner spirit of the child are 
usually strained and often absurd and should neither 
be encouraged nor allowed. 

Pat-a-cake, pat-a-cake, baker's man. 
So I will, master, as fast as I can. 
Pat it, and prick it, and mark it with T, 
And put in the oven for Tommy and me. 



Little Bo-peep has lost her sheep, 
And can't tell where to find them; 

Leave them alone, and they '11 come home, 
And bring their tails behind them. 
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Child Training 

Little Bo-peep fell fast asleep. 
And dreamt she heard them bleating; 

But when she awoke, she found it a joke, 
For still they all were fleeting. 

Then up she took her little crook, 

Determined for to find them ; 
She found them, indeed, but it made her heart bleed, 

For they 'd left their tails behind them. 



Ba-a, ba-a, black sheep, have you any wool? 

Yes, marry, have I, three bags full; 

One for my master, one for his dame. 

And one for the little boy that lives in the lane. 



Little Miss Mufifett 

Sat on a tuffett. 
Eating her curds and whey ; 

There came a black spider. 

And sat down beside her. 
Which frightened Miss Mufifett away. 



Dafify-down-dilly has come up to town. 
In a yellow petticoat and a green gown. 



Hey, diddle, diddle. 

The cat and the fiddle, 
The cow jumped over the moon; 

The little dog laugh'd 

To see such craft. 
And the dish ran away with the spoon. 

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Rhythmic Arts 

Bye, baby Bunting, 
Father's gone a-hunting, 
Gone to get a rabbit skin 
To wrap the baby Bunting in. 



Little Jack Horner sat in a corner, 

Eating his Christmas pie; 
He put in his thumb, and pulled out a plum. 

And said, " What a good boy am I ! " 



Little Boy Blue, come blow your horn^ 
The sheep 's in the meadow, the cow 's in the corn ; 
What ! is this the way you mind your sheep. 
Under the hay-cock, fast asleep ? 



I had a little pony, 

His name was Dapple-gray, 
I lent him to a lady. 

To ride a mile away; 
She whipp'd him, she slash'd him. 

She rode him through the mire; 
I would not lend my pony now 
For all the lady's hire. 



Pussy cat, pussy cat. 
Where have you been? 
I 've been to London, 
To visit the queen. 
Pussy cat, pussy cat, 
What did you there? 
I frightened a little mouse 
Under her chair. 

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Child Training 

Some little mice sat in a barn to spin, 

Pussy came by and popped her head in ; 

" Shall I come in and cut your threads off ? " 

" O ! no, kind ma'am, you will snap our heads off ! " 



Tom he was a piper's son, 
He learnt to play when he was young, 
But all the tune that he could play, 
Was '* Over the hills and far away." 



Little Tom Tucker 
Sings for his supper. 
What shall he eat? 
White bread and butter. 
How will he cut it, 
Without e'er a knife? 
How will he be married, 
Without e'er a wife? 



Simple Simon met a pieman 

Going to the fair; 
Says Simple Simon to the pieman, 

" Pray let me taste your ware.'* 



Jack and Jill went up the hill,^ 

To fetch a pail of water ; 
Jack fell down and broke his crown. 

And Jill came tumbling after. 

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Rhythmic Arts 

Mary, Mary quite contrary 
How does your garden grow ? 

With silver bells and cockle shells 
And pretty maids all in a row. 



Curly locks ! curly locks ! wilt thou be mine ? 

Thou shalt not wash dishes, nor yet feed the swine. 
But sit on a cushion and sew a fine seam. 

And feed upon strawberries, sugar and cream ! 



Ol'd King Cole 

Was a merry old soul. 
And a merry old soul was he ; 

He called for his pipe. 

And he called for his bowl. 
And he called for his fiddlers three. 

Every fiddler, he had a fine fiddle, 

And a very fine fiddle had he ; 
Twee tweedle dee, tweedle dee, went the fiddlers. 

O, there 's none so rare, 

As can compare 
With King Cole and his fiddlers three ! 



I '11 tell you a story 

About Mother Morey, 
And now my story 's begun, 

I '11 tell you another 

About her brother, 
And now my story 's done. 

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Child Training 

The lion and the unicorn 

Were fighting for the crown ; 
The lion beat the unicorn 

All about the town. 
Some gave them white bread. 

And some gave them brown. 
Some gave them plum-cake, 

And sent them out of town. 



Three wise men of Gotham 
Went to sea in a bowl ; 
If the bowl had been stronger. 
My song had been longer. 



There was a man in our town, 

And he was wondrous wise ; 
He jumped into a bramble bush, 

And scratched out both his eyes. 
And when he saw his eyes were out. 

With all his might and main 
He jumped into another bush. 

And scratched them in again. 



The man in the moon, 

Came down too soon, 
To ask the way to Norwich ; 

He went by the south, 

And burnt his mouth. 
With eating cold pease-porridge. 

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Rhythmic Arts 

Hickory, dickory, dock, 

The mouse ran up the clock. 

The clock struck one. 

And down he run, 
Hickory, dickory, dock. 



There was an old woman who lived in a shoe, 

She had so many children sh^ did n't know what to do ; 

She gave them some broth without any bread, 

She whipped them all soundly and put them to bed. 



One misty, moisty morning. 

When cloudy was the weather, 

I chanced to meet an old man clothed all in leather 

He began to compliment, and I began to grin, 

How do you do ? and how do you do ? 

And how do you do again ? 



If all the world were apple-pie, 

And all the sea were ink. 
And all the trees were bread and cheese, 

What should we have to drink ? 



Jack Sprat could eat no fat, 
His wife could eat no lean, 

And so between them both 
They licked the platter clean. 



Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers ; 
A peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper picked ; 
If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, 

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Child Training 

Where are the peck of pickled peppers Peter Piper 
picked ? 



Ding, dong, bell ! 

Pussy 's in the well. 

Who put her in ? 

Little Tommy Green. 

Who pulled her out? 

Great Johnny Stout. 

What a naughty boy was that, 

To drown poor pussy-cat, 

Who never did him any harm. 

But killed the mice in his father's barn ! 



Sing a song of sixpence, 

A pocket full of rye; 
Four and twenty blackbirds 

Baked in a pie. 

When the pie was open'd 
The birds began to sing; 

Was not that a dainty dish 
To set before the king? 

The king was in his counting-house 

Counting out his money ; 
The queen was in the parlor 

Eating bread and honey; 

The maid was in the garden 

Hanging out the clothes ; 
There came a little blackbird 

And snapt off her nose. 
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Rhythmic Arts 

Little fishey in a brook 
Daddy catch him with a hook. 
Mama fry him in a pan, 
Baby eat him like a man. 



Hush a bye baby 
Upon the tree top, 

When the wind blows 
The cradle will rock. 

When the bough breaks 
The cradle will fall, 

Down tumbles baby, 
Bough, cradle, and all. 



This is the house that Jack built. 

This is the malt, 

that lay in the house that Jack built. 

This is the rat, 

that ate the malt, 
that lay in the house 
that Jack built. 

This is the cat, 

that chased the rat, 
that ate the malt, 
that lay in the house 
that Jack built. 

This is the dog, 

that worried the cat, 
that chased the rat, 
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Child Training 

that ate the malt, 
that lay in the house 
that Jack built. 

.This is the cow 

with crumpled horn, 
that tossed the dog, 
that worried the cat, 
that chased the rat, 
that ate the malt, 
that lay in the house 
that Jack built. 

This is the maiden 
all forlorn, 
that milked the cow 
with crumpled horn, 
that tossed the dog, 
that worried the cat, 
that chased the rat, 
that ate the malt, 
that lay in the house 
that Jack built. 

This is the youth 

all tattered and torn, 
that kissed the maiden 
all forlorn, 
that milked the cow 
with crumpled horn, 
that tossed the dog, 
that worried the cat, 
that chased the rat, 
i'5o 



Rhythmic Arts 

that ate the malt, 
that lay in the house 
that Jack built. 

Jhis is the priest 

all shaven and shorn, 
that married the youth 
all tattered and torn, 
that kissed the maiden 
all forlorn, 
that milked the cow 
with crumpled horn, 
that tossed the dog, 
that worried the cat, 
that chased the rat, 
that ate the malt, 
that lay in the house 
that Jack built. 

[This is the cock 

that crowed in the morn, 
to wake the priest 
all shaven and shorn, 
that married the youth 
all tattered and torn, 
that kissed the maiden 
all forlorn, 
that milked the cow 
with crumpled horn, 
that tossed the dog, 
that worried the cat, 
that chased the rat, 

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Child Training 

that ate the malt, 
that lay in the house 
that Jack built. 



There was a crooked man, 
And he went a crooked mile. 
He found a crooked sixpence 
Against a crooked stile, 
He bought a crooked cat. 
Which caught a crooked mouse, 
And they all lived together 
In a little crooked house. 



The north wind doth blow, 
And we shall have snow. 
And what will the robin do then? 

Poor thing! 

He '11 sit in a barn, 
And keep himself warm. 
And hide his head under his wing. 

Poor thing! 



Ride a cock-horse to Banbury-cross, 

To see an old lady upon a white horse. 

With rings on her fingers, and bells on her toes. 

She shall make music wherever she goes. 



Pease porridge hot. 
Pease porridge cold. 

Pease porridge in the pot. 
Nine days old; 
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Rhythmic Arts 

Some like it hot, 
Some like it cold, 

Some like it in the pot, 
Nine days old. 



One, two. 

Buckle my shoe ; 

Three, four. 

Shut the door; 

Five, six. 

Pick up sticks; 

Seven, eight. 

Lay them straight; 

Nine, ten, 

A good fat hen; 

Eleven, twelve, 

A man must delve. 



Bow, wow, wow. 
Whose dog art thou? 
Little Tom Tinker's dog, 
Bow, wow, wow. 



As I was going to St. Ives, 

I met a man with seven wives ; 

Every wife had seven sacks, 

Every sack had seven cats. 

Every cat had seven kits; 

Kits, cats, sacks, and wives, 

How many were there going to St. Ives? 

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Child Training 

Early to bed and early to rise 

Makes a man healthy, wealthy, and wise. 



April showers 
Make May flowers. 



There was an old woman toss'd up in a basket 
Nineteen times as high as the moon; 

But where she was going, I could n't but ask it, 
For in her hand she carried a broom. 

" Old woman, old woman, old woman," quoth I, 
" O whither, O whither, O whither, so high ? " 
" To brush the cobwebs off the sky ! " 
" Shall I go with thee? " *' Aye, by and by." 



Who killed Cock Robin? 
" I," said the Sparrow, 
" With my bow and arrow ; 

I killed Cock Robin." 

Who saw him die? 
" I," said the Fly, 
"With my little eye; 

I saw him die." 

Who caught his blood ? 
" I," said the Fish, 
"With my little dish; 

I caught his blood." 

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Rhythmic Arts 

Who made his shroud? 
" I," said the Beetle, 
"With my little needle; 

I made his shroud." 

Who '11 be the parson ? 

"I," said the Rook; 

" With my little book ; 
I '11 be the parson." 

Who '11 dig his grave ? 

" I," said the Owl, 

" With my spade and shovel ; 
I '11 dig his grave." 

Who '11 be the clerk? 
" I," said the Lark, 
" If 'tis not in the dark; 

I '11 be the clerk." 

Who '11 carry him to the grave ? 
" I," said the Kite, 
^ If 't is not in the night ; 

I '11 carry him to the grave." 

Who '11 be the chief mourner ? 
" I," said the Dove, 
" Because of my love ; 

I '11 be chief mourner." 



Who '11 sing a psalm ? 
" I," said the Thrush, 

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Child Training 

As she sat in a bush ; 
" I '11 sing a psalm." 

" Who '11 bear the pall," 
" We," said the Wren, 
Both the Cock and the Hen; 

" We '11 bear the pall." 



"Who'll toll the bell? 
" I," said the Bull, 
" Because I can pull." 

So Cock Robin farewell. 

All the birds of the air 

Fell to sighing and sobbing 

When they heard the bell toll 
For poor Cock Robin. 



Three children sliding on the ice, 

Upon a summer's day ; 
As it fell out, they all fell in, 

The rest they ran away. 

Now had these children been at home, 

Or sliding on dry ground, 
Ten thousand pounds to one penny. 

They had not all been drown'd. 

You parents all that children have, 
And you that have got none, 

If you would keep them safe abroad. 
Pray keep them safe at home. 
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Rhythmic Arts 

What are little boys made of, made of ; 

What are little boys made of ? 

" Snaps and snails, and puppy-dogs' tails ; 

And that 's what little boys are made of, made of." 

What are little girls made of, made of ; 

What are little girls made of? 

" Sugar and spice, and all that 's nice ; 

And that 's what little girls are made of, made of." 



Goosey, goosey, gander, 

Where shall I wander? 
Upstairs, downstairs. 

And in my lady's chamber. 

There I met an old man 

That would not say his prayers ; 
I took him by the left leg, 

And threw him downstairs. 



The Queen of Hearts, 
She made some tarts, 

All on a summer's day; 
The Knave of Hearts, 
He stole those tarts. 

And took them clean away. 

The King of Hearts 
Called for the tarts. 

And beat the Knave full sore; 
The Knave of Hearts 
Brought back the tarts, 

And vowed he 'd steal no more. 

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Child Training 

Sneeze on Monday, sneeze for danger; 
Sneeze on Tuesday, kiss a stranger; 
Sneeze on Wednesday, get a letter; 
Sneeze on Thursday, something better ; 
Sneeze on Friday, sneeze for sorrow; 
Sneeze on Saturday, joy to-morrow. 



If wishes were horses, 
Beggars would ride; 

If turnips were watches, 
I 'd wear one by my side. 



Solomon Grundy, 
Born on Monday, 
Christened on Tuesday, 
Married on Wednesday, 
Took ill on Thursday, 
Worse on Friday, 
Died on Saturday, 
Buried on Sunday. 
This is the end 
Of Solomon Grundy. 



Peter White will ne'er go right. 
Would you know the reason why? 

He follows his nose where'er he goes. 
And that stands all awry. 



If all the seas were one sea. 
What a great sea that would be ! 
And if all the trees were one tree, 
What a great tree that would be ! 
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Rhythmic Arts 

And if all the axes were one axe, 
What a great axe that would be ! 
And if all the men were one man, 
What a great man he would be! 
And if the great man took the great axe, 
And cut down the great tree, 
And let it fall into the great sea, 
What a splish splash that would be! 



There was a little man, 

And he had a little gun, 

And his bullets were made of lead, lead, lead; 

He went to the brook 

And he saw a little duck, 

And he shot it right through the head, head, head. 

He carried it home 

To his old wife Joan, 

And bid her a fire for to make, make, make ; 

To roast the little duck 

He had shot in the brook, 

And he 'd go and fetch her the drake, drake, drake. 



For want of a nail, the shoe was lost ; 
For want of the shoe, the horse was lost; 
For want of the horse, the rider was lost; 
For want of the rider, the battle was lost; 
For want of the battle, the kingdom was lost; 
And all from the want of a horseshoe nail. 



For every evil under the sun, 
There is a, remedy, or there is none. 

159 



Child Training 

If there be one, try and find it; 
If there be none, never mind it. 



SONGS 

The following songs have been found to be the ones 
most appreciated by children of four to six and best 
suited to them. They should, of course, be taught by 
rote, the children learning to sing them after the 
teacher. Action Songs — those that are illustrated 
by motion and gesture — are most delighted in. 

From " Songs of a Little Child's Day," by Emilie Pouls- 
son and Eleanor Smith 
Brave 
Useful 
Polite 

Morning Hymn 
Sunshine Far and Near 
Good Weather 
The Bold Snowman 
To a Snowflake 
The Autumn Wind 
The Busy Wind 
The First Bouquet 
Choosing a Flower 
The Cackling Hen 
The Lordly Cock 
Minding Their Mother 
Bossy Cow 
Milk for Supper 
The Shell 

1 60 



Rhythmic Arts 

Whirlabout 

Play in all Seasons 

A Little Dancing Song 

The Train 

If You were a Flower 

The Friendly Dark 

From " The Most Popular Mother Goose Songs and 
Other Nursery Rhymes," 

By Carrie Bullard 

Little Bo-Peep 

When the Snow is on the Ground 

The King of France 

Georgie Porgie 

Hey, Diddle, Diddle 

Ride a Cock-Horse to Banbury Cross 

Twinkle, Little Star 

Bean Porridge Hot 

From " Robert Louis Stevenson Songs," by Ethel 
Crowninshield 

Singing 

The Land of Counterpane 

Marching Song 

My Shadow 

Time to Rise 

The Lamplighter 

Picture Books in Winter 

My Treasures 

Block City 



i6i 



Child Training 

From " Songs of Happiness," by C. S. Bailey and M. B. 
Ehrmann 

Good Morning 
The Baker 
Content, etc. 

From " The Modern Music Series," First Book. By 
Eleanor Smith 

Marching Song — Bring the Comb 
Little Baby Do You Hear 
Good Night to the Flowers 

Other good books of songs for very young children 
are: 

Mother Goose Songs for Little Ones, by Ethel 
Crowninshield. 

More Mother Goose Songs, by Ethel Crownin- 
shield, 

Folk Songs and Other Songs for Children, by J. 
B. Radcliffe- Whitehead. 

Songs of the Child-World, by A. C. D. Riley and 
Jessie L. Gay nor. Books I and 11. 

SINGING GAMES 

Singing games are as old as childhood. They break 
out sporadically wherever children gather together. 
The old traditional games have been handed down 
from one childish generation to another without ap- 
parently any teaching or suggestion from grown-ups. 
Sorry is the child whose lot has been so cast that he 

162 



Rhythmic Arts 

has grown up without ever having passed through 
those halcyon hours that were spent playing " Farmer 
in the Dell," " King William," or " London Bridge." 

The most popular and suitable games of this kind 
for children are described with words and music in 
" Children's Old and New Singing Games," by Mari R. 
Hofer, and some of them also in " The Most Popular 
Mother Goose Songs, etc.," by Carrie Bullard. 

They are : 

Farmer in the Dell 

Here We Go Round the Mulberry Bush 

In the Spring 

King William 

Looby Loo 

London Bridge 

The Musician 

The Needle's Eye 

Oats, Peas, Beans and Barley 

The Shepherdess 

Character Dance 

Punchinello 

Round and Round the Village 

FOLK DANCES 

The Folk Dances best adapted to teaching children 
are described with music by Burchenal, and there are 
graphophone records of the music of most of them. 

Klappdans Swedish Folk Dance 

Bleking Swedish Folk Dance 

163 



Child Training 

Tarantella Italian Folk Dance 

The Ace of Diamonds Danish Folk Dance 

Fjallnaspolska — Mountain Polka . Swedish Folk Dance 

Morriss Dance English Folk Dance 

Hansel and Gretel German Folk Dance 

Shoemaker's Dance Danish Folk Dance 



164 



Rhythmic Arts 



i Allegro 



HEY, DIDDLE DIDDLE.* 



J. W. Elliott. 




Hey, did-dle, did-dle, The cat and the fid - die, The cow jump'd o-ver the moon ; 



^^^^ gj^Jl jLjlJ:| ^E: ^.^^ -^ H^ ^ 



The lit - tie dog laughed to see such sport. And the dish ran af - ter the spoon. 



LITTLE BO-PEEP.* 



1. Lit- tie Bo-Peep, she lost her sheep, And did-n't know where to find them ; 

2. Lit- tie Bo-Peep fell fast a-sleep, And dreamt she heard them bleat-ing ; But 

3. Then up she took her lit - tie crook, De - ter - mined for to find them. She 
happened one day as Bo-Peep did stray In - to a meadow hard by, 

heaved a sigh and wiped her eye. Then went o'er hill and dale, .... And 



Let them a - lone, they'll all come home, And bring their tails be-hind them, 
when she a-woke, she found it a joke, For they were still a - fleet- ing. 
found them indeed,but it made her heart bleed For they'd left their tails behind them. 4. It 
There she es-pied their tails side by side, All hung on a tree to dry. 5. She 
tried what she could, as a shepherdess should, To tack to each sheep its taU .... 



Jane Taylor. 

Not too slow. 



TWINKLE, LITTLE STAE.* 



French Air. 



^E 



^^^ 



^ — f- 



^El ^— ^- 



:^ 



t: 



1. Twin-kle, twin-kle, lit- tie star: How I won-der what you are, 

2. When the blaz - ing sun is gone. When he noth - ing shines up - on, 

3. Then the trav - 'ler in the dark Thanks you for your ti - ny spark ; 

4. In the dark blue sky you keep, While you thro' my win-dow peep. 



I 



*=*= 



^S 



^iS 



-g — g- 



Up a - bove the world so high, 
Then you show your lit - tie light. 
He could not see which way to go, 
And you nev - er shut your eye, 



Like a dia-mond in the sky! 

Twi- light, twin-kle all the night. 

If you did not twin-kle so. 
Till the sun is in the sky. 



i 



-1 — I- 



= f— r- 



-j — j- 



=s=s= 



*: 



Twin-kle, twin-kle, lit - tie star, How I won-der what you are. 



165 



Child Training 

FARMER IN THE DELL.* 



I. The farm - er in the dell, The farm - er in the dell. 



High oh the der - ry 

2 The farmer takes a wife, 

3 The wife takes a child, 

4 The child takes the nurse, 

5 The nurse takes the dog. 



oh. The farm - er in the dell. 

6 The dog takes the cat, 

7 The cat takes the rat, 

8 The rat takes the cheese, 

9 The cheese stands alone. 



Directions.— On& child, the farmer, stands in the center of circle, and at the singing 
of first verse, chooses another, "the wife," from the circle; this one, in turn, chooses 
the next, and so on until the "cheese" is clapped out, and must begin again as the 
farmer. 

HERE WE GO ROUND THE MULBERRY BUSH.* 



P 



^ 



Here 
This 



the 



round 
way 



the 
we 



mul - 
wash. . 



ber 



ry bush, 
our clothes, 



The 
We 



i 



Jj J' J J-N 'r^^ 



^ 



^ 



-J J- 



mul - ber - ry bush, the mul - ber - ry bush. Here we go round the 
wash... our clothes, we wash... our clothes. This is the way we 



f 



^ 



^^ 



^ 



mul - ber - ry bush. So 
wash.... our clothes. So 



3 This is the way we iron our clothes, &c. 

So early Tuesday morning. 

4 This is the way we scrub the floor, &c. 

So early Wednesday morning. 

5 This is the way we mend our clothes, &c. 

So early Thursday morning. 



ear 


- iv 


in 


the 


mom 


■ ing 


ear 


ly 


Mon 


day 


morn 


■ mg 



6 This is the way we sweep the house, &c. 

So early Friday morning. 

7 This is the way we bake our bread, &c. 

So early Saturday morning. 

8 This is the way we go to church, &c. 

So early Sunday morning. 



Directions. — The game consists in simply suiting the actions to the words. 



Csed by Bpeeial permusion, 



Fanner Id the Bell/* " Here We Go Round 
from " The Most PopoUr Mother Qoose SanEa,".pubU8bed b; Hinds, Noble ud £ldiedge. 



i66 



Rhythmic Arts 

BRAVE.t 



$ 



Emilib Poulsson. 
AUeg^ro moderato. 



Eleanor Smith. 



^ 



^I^S^ 



=^=3z=(<cri? 



33^ 



Hur-rah for Bob - by Bum-ble! He nev - er minds a tum-ble, But 
^^poco rit./^ a tempo. 



^ ^^ 



^ 



^ 



up he jumps And rubs his bumps And does - n't ev - en grum-ble. 



Emilib Poulsson. 
Allegretto. 



USEFUL, t 



Eleanor Smith. 



=;£.=j^= J^ ^^ 



1. He brings his fa-ther's slip - pers, Picks up the ba - by's toys; 

2. On er - rands for his moth - er, He scam- pers up and down ; 



p^J^J- 



^ 



He shuts the door for Grand - ma With - out a bit of noise. 
She vows she would not change him For all the boys in town! 



Emilib Poulsson. 
mf Allegretto. 



POLITE.t 



Elbanor Smith. 



^mm 



m 



^^^ 



1. Oh, who's the friend - ly lit - tie chap That al - ways thinks to 

2. Who jumps so quick - ly to his feet, If a - ny la - dy 



i 



tqt 



lift 
needs 



his cap, And says "Good-mom - ing," says " Good-night ?" 'Tis 
a seat, As cour - teous as a gal - lant knight? 'Tis 



^^ 



- N i l, 



^EE^EE^^:^^ 



^E 



Paul Po - lite ! 'Tis Paul Po-lite. Three cheers for Paul Po-lite! 



167 



Child Training 

MY SHADOW, t 



^ 



^ 



^ 



*«: 



1. I have a lit - tie shad-ow that goes in and out with me, 

2. The fun - niest thing a - bout him is the way he likes to grow- 



^|^^l# g^^^^ ^ i =J^=^^^^5^^ ^ 



^ 



^ES 



And what can be the use of him is more than I can see. 
Not at all like prop - er chil- dren which is al - ways ve - ry slow ; 



I 



^& 



is 



3^: 



=*t 



He is ve - ry, ve - ry like me from the heels up to the head ; 
For he sometimes shoots up tall - er like an in - dia - rub - ber ball, 



i 



^ 



^ 



=S=5t 



■Mi—'-qg: — w> — *— 
And I see him jump be - fore me, when I jump in - to my bed. 
And he sometimes gets so lit - tie that there's none of him at all. 



I 



Quickly, 



TIME TO EISE.t 



S^^^^^ 



bird 



with 



yel 



low 



bill 



I 



i^ 



^iS 



Hopped up - on the wind - ow sill, Cocked hi,T shin - ing 



P 



^=^=3=4] 



eye and said: "Ain't you 'shamed, you sleep - y head!" 



t " Brave," " Useful," *' Polite" ftre frem " Songs of a Little Child's Day.'* "My Shadow " and " Time to EIbb" 
ftre from " Robert Louia SteTenson Songs," both published by MiUou Br&dloy Company. Used by epeaial permisaion. 



1 68 



PART VI 
FREE PLAY 

Free Play should be free play, that is the children 
should have free choice of the play and the teacher 
should mix in it as little as possible, taking merely 
the part of an adviser. 

Children under six would rather play with each 
other than with a grown-up and this characteristic 
preference should be regarded. 

However, children need to learn what to play and 
how to play, in order that they may have play resources 
and also acquire habits of fair play, unselfishness, jus- 
tice, honesty, self-control, etc., and the teacher must, 
therefore, be ready at hand to advise and supervise. 

The play at this time should, however, be only such 
as the children enjoy and would select if left to them- 
selves. 

Nature is not to be encouraged, however, simply be- 
cause it is nature, for what is natural is not necessarily 
by any means always right. It is natural for a child 
to want to slide down the banisters — but dangerous 
and hence improper. But eliminate the danger in slid- 
ing down the banisters ; convert a banister into a trough 

171 



Child Training 

— a sliding board with protective sides and we utilize 
the love of the child for this sort of sport, to give him 
certain physical training that is desirable. 

Pillow fighting and jumping on a spring bed are 
forms of athletic amusement that delight the child's 
heart, but they are tabooed — not because there is any 
harm in them themselves, but because they may do 
harm to the furniture. But the harmful element may 
be extracted and the joy still remain. 

A child likes to walk a railway track, he will prefer 
it every time to the path alongside. Take him out for 
an afternoon stroll and if there is a wall alongside the 
road he will be sure to choose the wall to walk on. 
Leave him alone in the back yard and if he can climb 
to the top of the fence he will soon be walking along 
it, in imitation of the cat. These are exercises in 
poise and balance and bring into play muscles that 
should be co-ordinated and developed. The menace 
of a train or a tumble from the fence makes the child's 
desire for this form of exercise, in most cases pro- 
hibitive, but have a rail in the home, yard or school 
for him or provide a low, a very low imitation fence 
and the danger being eliminated, the maximum physi- 
cal good is obtained by allowing him to follow his 
natural impulses. 

What boy can resist kicking a stray tin can or burst- 
ing a paper bag? Elevate the tin can and when he 
kicks it he kicks his leg muscles into development. 

172 



Free Play 

What child can naturally refrain from striking any 
bell within reach ? He loves to see or hear the results 
of his activity. Make him exercise the muscles of his 
calves in gratifying this natural desire; suspend bells 
in a row just out of reach and have him run and 
jump to strike them. 

With the first snow fall how many slides are made 
by children on the slippery sidewalks and streets, 
a menace to the pedestrian and an invitation to the 
householder to spread ashes! Wax a dressed plank, 
lay it on the ground and you provide a slide that the 
child may use the year round. Care should be taken 
that the plank lies flat and is fastened down so that 
it will not swirl around or endanger the slider. 

What child has not had to be admonished for jump- 
ing on the mattress of his bed — and why? Only be- 
cause it worked injury to the spring or soiled the bed- 
ding. Give him an old mattress for his playground, or 
if this is not feasible, fasten a strong but springy plank 
at each end to a low support and he may imitate a grass- 
hopper or bullfrog to his heart's content. 

In the same way analyze the child's other play in- 
terests and likes, extract the essence and eliminate 
the part that makes harmful, dangerous or worthless 
that which is otherwise beneficial. 

Free Plays may be divided into four classes: 

I. Athletic Plays — those that are marked by physi- 
cal activity. 

173 



Child Training 

2. Manual Plays — those that are in the nature of 
hand occupations. 

3. Imitative Plays — those that imitate such activi- 
ties, as playing horse, store, etc. 

4. Games — that is, plays that have the spirit of 
contest. They appeal most strongly to an older age, 
where they more properly belong and are seldom en- 
tered into at this age without direction. They are, 
therefore, only partly " free." 

ATHLETIC PLAYS 

For the Athletic Plays all that is necessary or 
even advisable, is to provide the materials or apparatus 
with a suggestion or explanation as to their proper 
use. 

A Sliding Board. A smooth plank of maple or non- 
splintering material 16 feet long, supported at an angle 
of about 30 degrees and reached by a ladder or steps. 
The child should be clad in rompers, or clothes that will 
not be injured by wear. Protective board sides that 
convert the slide into a chute, or banister rails add to 
the safety of the sport, especially as upon acquaintance 
the child is prone to go down head foremost or stand- 
ing up. 

A High Rail. A strip of 2 x 4 or a low fence — 
a joist or 2 inch plank set on edge — for " tight-rope " 
walking. 

A Jumping-0£f Place. A height from which the 
174 



Free Play 

child can jump into hay or straw beneath, without 
danger of injury. 

A Spring Board or spring mattress. A strong board 
supported and made fast at each end by a box about a 
foot high, or a discarded bed mattress. 

A Wallow. A square of canvas twelve feet or more, 
supported and raised at each corner about two or 
three feet high, so that the sag will not touch the 
ground, in which the child can roll and wallow to his 
heart's content. 

A Trapeze and a Horizontal Bar with mat beneath, 
on which the child may hang, chin himself, swing and 
gyrate. 

A Pair ai Soft Pillows to be used for pillow fights. 

A Ball. A foot ball or basket ball is best. 

A Foot Slide. A waxed board on the ground, 
fastened so that it will not swing round, or with one 
end slightly elevated so that the child can coast erect. 

Suspended Bells. Cow bells hung so that the child 
can strike them only by jumping for them. 

Stilts. Made of two tin cans through the top of 
each of which two holes have been punched and cord or 
thin rope inserted to form a loop which the child may 
hold in each hand while walking with a foot on each 
can. 

A Swing. 

A Rope. Suspended so that the child can climb it. 

A Trolley. Fasten a twenty-five to fifty foot length 
175 



Child Training 

of ^ inch wire, or woven wire cable between two 
points so that the lower end is within reach of the 
ground and the other high enough to give a sufficient 
incline. Place on the wire a trolley wheel from which 
you have suspended a cross stick that can be grasped 
and a trailing rope. The child drags the trolley wheel 
by the trolley rope to the highest point of the wire, 
mounts a platform or box that raises him within reach 
of the cross bar, which he then grasps and is carried 
by gravity down the wire till his feet touch the ground. 

A Jumping Rope. Twelve or fifteen feet of long 
rope for jumping and for Tug of War. 

A Teeter, or See-Saw. 

Hoops, 

A Horizontal Ladder raised overhead, on the rounds 
of which the child may swing himself along by his 
hands. 

A Merry-Go-Round. A rather elaborate but very 
successful piece of apparatus, consisting of two or more 
go-cart seats, which the child puts in motion round a 
center by pushing and pulling with his hands and feet. 

A Wheelbarrow, Cart, Shovel and Pail, etc. 

MANUAL PLAYS 

The following materials suggest the activity. 
Blackboard or paper for drawing, and crayon, pen- 
cil, etc. 

Water colors for painting. 
176 



Free Play 

Paper and scissors for cutting. 

Clay for making " mud pies " and modeling. 

Beads for stringing. 

A bent tube or pipe — the broad opening edged with 
a scalloped cloth band — for blowing bubbles. A good 
mixture for blowing bubbles is soap suds and water to 
which about one-third of its quantity of glycerine has 
been added. 

IMITATIVE PLAYS 

The imitative plays are far the most appealing to 
children under nine, and to girls even older. Imitat- 
ing grown-up activities — such as keeping house, cook- 
ing, keeping store, running an office, teaching school, 
calling, will entertain and engross children for weeks 
at a time, when they would tire of any and every 
game. 

The only precaution to be taken is that children imi- 
tate only the wholesome or unobjectionable. They 
should not be allowed to imitate smoking, intoxicated 
persons, cripples, etc. Some parents think lightly of 
allowing a child to pretend to "smoke" a pencil or 
their father's pipe, to play robbers, or even a funeral. 
Such pretense cannot be of any good and may do much 
harm by way of mental suggestion, as well as in other 
ways. I knew of a parent who left her children play- 
ing robbers and returned in the nick of time to find the 
"robber" with a rope tied round his neck and the 

177 



Child Training 

other end swung over an attic beam, just about to be 
hung! 

Provide the following materials, for the rest, usually 
a suggestion what to play is all that is necessary. 

Dolls, Doll House, Doll Carriage. (For girls only.) 

Old clothes with plenty of safety pins for dressing 
up. 

A Sand Pile — preferably of clean sea sand, with 
bucket, shovel, boxes, cake forms, etc., a plasterer's 
trowel for building houses, villages, etc. 

Large blocks the size of ordinary building bricks 
and miscellaneous materials for building houses, forts, 
trains, etc. 

Toy furniture — chairs, tables, beds, bureaus, 
pianos, stoves, flat irons, brooms, tubs, wash board, 
dishes, etc. 

Toy Soldiers. 

Toy Animals. 

A Play House belonging to the children alone, 
equipped in every part as for grown-ups, but on a 
diminutive scale — not a toy house but one into which 
the child could go and " live and move and have his 
being " in imitation of all the activities of his elders — 
would be an ideal setting for the child's imitative play 
activities. 

Other imitative plays for which special apparatus is 
unnecessary or can be Improvised are: 

Playing house, store, conductor, horse, bear. In- 
178 



Free Play 

dians, firemen, blacksmith, school, doctor, circus, sol- 
dier, etc. 

GAMES WITHOUT APPARATUS 

Tag. One child who is called " It " or " Old Man," 
tries to tag any one of the others he can catch and 
hold, till he counts three. The one tagged or caught 
then becomes "It." Usually there is one or more 
bases agreed upon, such as a box, post or wall. 
One cannot be caught or tagged while he is touching 
base. " It " is usually selected by some counting-out 
rime, such as the following. One child says the rime, 
pointing to each child in turn from left to right in- 
cluding himself, with each accented word and the one 
pointed to with the final word becomes " It." 

Eeny, meeny, miney mo, 
Catch a lobster by the toe, 
If he hollers, let him go, 
Eeny, meeny, miney mo! 

Cat and Rat. Children hold hands In a ring while 
one child on the outside, called the cat, tries to catch 
another child on the inside, called the rat. Those 
forming the ring try to prevent the cat from getting 
into the ring, by lowering their arms or otherwise ob- 
structing his passage, or, if he has succeeded in getting 
in, they open the way for the rat to escape and try to 
keep the cat in. 

179 



Child Training 

Hide and Seek. One child who is " It " shuts his 
eyes in his hands at base, while the others hide. " It " 
or the " Old Man " either counts to a certain number 
or is told when the hiders are ready. He then searches 
for them, and they try to run in and touch base before 
he spies them out, saying " I spy " and touches base. 
The first one caught becomes " It " and the others come 
in free. 

Snake. The children are seated in a circle with 
" It " in the center. " It " has a handkerchief which 
he tosses over his back upon a child. The child on 
whom it falls immediately tries to toss it on to another 
child in the circle before " It " can tag him. If " It " 
succeeds in tagging any child while the handkerchief is 
on any part of his body the child so tagged becomes 
" It." 

Piissy Wants a Corner. All the children except the 
one who is " Pussy " stand in corners, or on a marked 
spot. They try to exchange " corners " with each 
other while " Pussy " goes from one to the other say- 
ing, " Pussy wants a corner." If " Pussy " succeeds 
in getting into a corner before an exchange is made the 
one left out becomes " Pussy." 

Going to Jerusalem. Chairs — one less than the 
number of children — are placed in a row facing alter- 
nately one side and the other. The children then 
march round the chairs while music plays, or the teacher 
sings or counts. The instant the music stops they drop 

1 80 



Free Play 

into a seat and the child left without a seat goes to 
one side. A chair is removed, the music starts, the 
march is continued, the music stops, and so on, till only 
one chair and two children are left. When the music 
finally stops the one seated wins. 

GAMES WITH APPARATUS 

The following games usually need to be directed or 
started by an older child or by the teacher, but the 
children should be encouraged to play games inde- 
pendently, always, however, with care and precision 
and endeavor to improve. If they " fool " and do not 
observe the strict rules of the game, the privilege 
should be denied them. 

Quoits. Have the children play quoits, using rings 
of rope and stakes fitted into a wooden base for goals. 
Have them keep the score accurately. 

Bean Bag. Have the children play "bean bag" 
with a board of three holes valued at i, 2, 3 points, 
respectively, and keep their own score, ten points being 
the game. 

Ten-Pins. Have the children play shuffle board or 
ten-pins, keeping their own score and taking turns at 
setting up the men in their proper positions. 



181 




Photoeraph by Eachracli 



MANUAL TRAINING 
"Paper Lantern and Pinwheel"— Developing skill, accuracy, industry, etc. 



PART VII 
MANUAL TRAINING AND OCCUPATIONS 

This period is divided into two classes of manual 
activities — i. Manual Training, consisting of more 
or less formal exercises and 2. Occupations which 
are of the nature of adult work. 

AIMS 

In executing the different models it should be con- 
stantly borne in mind that the real object of the work 
is not the product of the child's hands but the effect 
on the child himself; not the drawing or painting but 
the ability to make things well; not the petty toys or 
gifts which are intrinsically valueless, but the skill, 
craftsmanship, handiness the child acquires by making 
them. The exercises are made concrete because they 
appeal to the child, for where there is such interest 
the reflex effect is much greater than otherwise. But 
the entire object is to make him handy, dexterous, 
quick, deft, neat, orderly, clever, imaginative, resource- 
ful, interested, observant, reasonable, inventive, per- 
sistent, industrious, independent. This is a formid- 
able list of virtues, but surely worth while objects in 
themselves and each exercise contributes in some de- 
gree to the realization of these objects, no matter if 

185 



Child Training 

the objective thing produced is immediately destroyed 
or thrown into the waste basket as rubbish — which it 
undoubtedly is. This should not, however, be its im- 
mediate fate for the effect on the child of doing so 
would be to discourage him, making his efforts seem 
futile and further effort not worth while. Whether 
the four year old is some day to be a carpenter or an 
architect, a chauffeur or an engineer, a plumber or a 
printer, a surgeon or a painter, a mechanician or a pian- 
ist, or follow any of a hundred other pursuits, these 
manual lessons prepare him, starting him with the 
fundamentals, for though the time may seem far 
ahead — art is long. The following points should, 
therefore, be constantly borne in mind by the teacher 
and exacted of the children in all their work. 

Order. Each day they should set everything in or- 
der and put away each thing in its proper place after 
finishing. 

Neatness. They should keep all their work spotless. 
Clean hands are necessary. Smudged, soiled or 
crumpled work should be done over. 

Accuracy. They should be required to be always 
as accurate and exact as the limitations of their age 
and skill will permit. If careless or slipshod work is 
accepted, the teacher will get nothing else and it will 
grow worse. 

Concentration. They should " work while they 
work " and keep steadily at it till finished. The en- 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

trance of the cat, the fall of a book, the ring of the 
door-bell should not be allowed to distract their atten- 
tion from the matter in hand. 

Independence. They should do their work with as 
little assistance as possible. It is much easier to help 
the child than to help him help himself. With a touch 
here and a stroke there the teacher could instantly set 
him straight or get him out of many a difficulty, but she 
should restrain her itching fingers and make it a matter 
of pride with each one to be able to say, " I did it all 
myself." 

LEFT HANDEDNESS 

Left handedness has a deep seated, physiological 
cause. The right hand, eye and foot are controlled 
by the left hemisphere of the brain and the left hand 
and side of the body by the right half of the brain. 
What it is that gives the original predisposition to 
the use of the right hand has never satisfactorily been 
explained though dozens of theories have been ad- 
vanced. 

As to the advisability of training a left handed child 
to write with the right hand there is also much con- 
trary opinion. Dr. Gould, one authority, calls it " a 
crime to force a change to the right hand." Whereas 
Sir Daniel Wilson another authority, and himself left 
handed, advises cultivating free use of the right hand 
without discouraging use of the left, 

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Child Training 

In the face of such conflicting opinion the best ad- 
vice seems to be this : 

For the convenience in using such instruments and 
articles of daily life as are standardized for the right 
hand it is well to make use of this hand if it can be so 
trained without disarranging mental functions or mak- 
ing any great sacrifice. 

Now the bias toward either hand is usually slight in 
early life, but very soon becomes a habit that cannot 
safely be eradicated as the brain is involved. 

At the very first sign of a preference for either hand, 
therefore, the child should be told to offer and use his 
right hand. Whenever he starts to use his left hand 
do not let him do so, but say, " No, other hand." If, 
however, this constant correction has apparently no 
effect, it may be taken as a sign that the predilection 
is too deep seated to be uprooted without doing damage 
or affecting mental qualities, and should the child reach 
the age for beginning to write after long but unsuc- 
cessful endeavor to change his bias to the right hand, 
the conclusion is that it is too deep seated to be safely 
eradicated. 

In other words if the left handedness is very deeply 
marked it is a mistake to force the child into the use 
of the right hand for it will disturb his mental func- 
tioning and his skill. If, however, the left handedness 
is not deeply marked and can readily be changed it is 
best, for sake of the minor conveniences and to avoid 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

awkwardness in daily life, to cultivate the use of the 
right hand as soon as the opposite tendency shows it- 
self — not wait till the age when the child begins to 
write. 

The cultivation of ambidexterity, that is, equal skill 
with both hands, is now generally agreed to be inadvisa- 
ble since neither hand can be trained to as high a 
degree of skill as one; both hands become skilful at 
the expense of one. In other words, neither the right 
nor the left hand becomes as expert if both are trained 
as either the right or left would alone. 



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MANUAL TRAINING 

CLAY WORK 

Lesson i. Ball, Apple. Give each child a piece 
of clay the size of an tgg and have him roll it into as 
perfect a ball as he can, while you make one at the 
same time. Always while the children are working 
ask them questions and encourage them also to ask 
questions about the things they are making and the 
materials they are using. This is to induce an inquir- 
ing state of mind and form the habit of being inter- 
ested and curious about everything with which they 
are brought into contact. For instance, in this case 
such questions as the following might be asked and an- 
swered : 

" What other things are round, like a ball ? " 

" An orange, the sun," etc. 

" What is clay made from ? " 

" Rotted rock." 

"What is made from clay?" 

" Bricks, flower pots and even china, by baking the 
clay." 

Then have them convert their spheres into a spher- 
ical fruit — an apple, by flattening two opposite sides, 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

making a slight depression or dimple in each side and 
inserting a short stem. Give them a real apple for a 
model, if possible, and discuss with them the kinds of 
apples, how they grow, when ripe, uses, etc. Ask 
them what other fruits they can think of that are 
round. 

Lesson 2. Cube, House. Give each child a piece 
of clay the size of an tgg and have him roll it into a 
ball. Then ask him to raise the ball above the table 
and drop it, flattening one side slightly. Then have 
him pat the top with the fingers, press the right side 
flat, then the left and finally the front and back to 
form a cube. Avoid as much as possible touching the 
children's cubes and have them follow the directions 
as you tell them, so that they may learn to know the 
meaning of right and left, top and bottom, front and 
back. Ask them what things have a similar shape — 
a box, a house, a lump of sugar, etc. Then have them 
convert their cubes into cubical objects. 

Lesson 3. Cylinder, Drum. Give each child a 
piece of clay as before, then have him first form it into 
a ball, then by rolling this ball on the table in one 
direction till elongated and by flattening the ends, 
make it into a cylinder. Ask the children what things 
have a similar shape — a drum, a mug, a rolling-pin, 
etc. Have them convert their cylinders into cylindrical 
objects. 

Lesson 4. Potato. Have each child begin to model 

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Child Training 

an ovoid or egg-shaped " sequence." Have him first 
model a potato from a real one before him. Ask the 
children how potatoes grow — like oranges and ap- 
ples? Tell them that the farmer plants the potato 
eyes, from each of which another potato plant will 
grow. 

Lesson 5. Egg. Continuing the ovoid sequence, 
have each child model an tgg, after first having made 
a sphere as a preliminary step. Have an tgg before 
the children and call their attention to the difference 
in size of the two ends, which they should try to copy 
exactly. Talk with them about eggs — where they 
come from, what they contain, what animals besides 
hens lay eggs — birds, frogs, fish, etc. 

Lesson 6. Nests and Eggs. Have each child model 
a nest, first forming a sphere, cutting it in half through 
the middle and pressing a hollow in the flat side with 
the thumb, then have him make several small eggs and 
put them in the nest. Continue the talk of the previ- 
ous lesson on eggs with a conversation about birds' 
nests — (how made — of straw, hair, twigs, leaves, 
etc., and where placed — in trees, high up generally, 
but also in hollows of trees and even on the ground), 
laying the eggs, hatching, feeding the young, teach- 
ing them to fly, etc. 

Lesson 7. Lemon. Have each child model a lemon. 
Ask what the shape of the lemon is, round or tgg 
shaped. 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

Lesson 8. Pear. Have each child model a pear, us- 
ing a bit of match stick or twig for a stem. 

Lesson 9. Hat. Have each child model a hat, then 
cut a narrow strip of colored paper and make a band 
and streamers. Ask what shape the crown is. 

Lesson 10. Cup and Saucer. Have each child 
model a cup and saucer. 

Lesson 11. Horseshoe. Have each child model a 
horseshoe, making first a very long cylinder, thicker in 
the middle than at the ends, then bend it into shape, 
flattening it and making " nails " with lentils. 

Lesson 12. Candlestick. Have each child model a 
candlestick. 

Lesson 13. Teapot. Have each child model a tea- 
pot. 

Lesson 14. Boat. Have each child model a boat, 
using sticks for masts and bowsprit. 

Lesson 15. Chain. Have each child model a chain, 
rolling out very long cylindrical pieces and joining 
their ends, first inserting each in the link already made. 

COLOR WORK 

Lesson 16. Three Primary Colors. Show the chil- 
dren the colors, red, yellow, blue, and ask them to 
mention things that have these colors. 

Encourage their minds to range for a moment over 
the whole universe, picking out fantastic, as well as 
obvious things that are red, yellow and blue, but have 

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Child Training 

them come back to the matter immediately in hand 
the instant they are told to do so. 

Lesson 17. Red — Mitten. Give each child a paint 
box and brush, a sheet of heavy paper, a saucer or 
bowl of water and a piece of rag or blotting paper. 
Show the children how to wet their brushes and then 
work up the red color on the cake of paint. Discuss 
how the brush is made, of wood or a goose quill and 
camel or badger's hair, for the finer brushes; of bris- 
tles of wood fiber for the cheaper. 

Have each child place his left hand on a sheet of 
paper, the fingers together, the thumb extended, and 
draw around it. Then have him paint in the outline 
with red to form a mitten, being very careful not to 
go beyond the line. Ask the children why mittens are 
often made red and tell them that red is a " warm " 
color — not really, of course, but looks so. Ask them 
why mittens are warmer than gloves (the fingers 
lying together keep each other warm). 

Tell the children that red, orange and yellow are 
called " warm " colors. Ask them if they can tell why. 
Ask them to name all the warm things they can think 
of that have these colors — fire, the sun, candle light, 
etc. 

Lesson 18. Orange — An Orange. Ask the chil- 
dren why this color is called orange and what other 
things have a similar color. Then have each child 
paint an orange, starting with a dot in the center of the 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

paper, being as accurate as he can and enlarging the 
spot gradually and carefully till it has the size and 
shape he thinks an orange should be. 

Lesson 19. Yellow — Lemon. Discuss the color 
yellow as in the case of the orange and have each child 
paint a lemon. 

Lesson 20. Green — A Leaf. Give each child an 
oak or maple leaf and have him place it in the center 
of a sheet of paper, and holding it down with his left 
hand draw around it with a pencil, so as to make an 
outline of the leaf on the paper. 

Then have him paint the leaf he has drawn and ask 
him what color he should use — green. Ask the chil- 
dren, as usual when a new color is introduced, what 
other things are green — grass, grain, many kinds of 
vegetables before ripe, etc. Ask them what color dif- 
ferent fruits turn when ripe and leaves before they 
fall. 

Tell the children that green, blue and violet are 
called cool colors and ask them if they can tell why. 
Ask them to name all the cool things they can think of 
that are either of these colors — the sea, shade, the 
sky after the sun has set, etc. 

Lesson 21. Blue — Bluebird. Discuss the color 
blue with the children. Then draw for each one an out- 
line of a simple conventional bird and have it filled 
in with blue. 

Lesson 22. Violet — A Violet. Tell the children 

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Child Training 

that you are going to let them paint a very sweet flower 
that grows in the woods in spring, a flower that is also 
the name of a girl and a color, and see if they can 
guess its name — ' violet. Then have each child make 
a dot of violet color on a sheet of paper and enlarge it 
irregularly to about the size of a violet and finish it by 
drawing a stem with green crayon. As in the case 
of the other colors, ask the children what violet colored 
things they see or can mention. 

Lesson 23. A Rainbow. Have the children ever 
seen a rainbow ? If you have a glass prism, let the sun 
shine through it to show them the " spectrum " it 
makes on the floor or wall. Have them first count the 
number of colors they can recognize, then name them 
in order, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, violet. 

Lesson 24. A Spectrum. Have each child make a 
spectrum — as a straight rainbow is called — by draw- 
ing with crayons of each color short, thick vertical 
lines close together. Be sure that the lines are put in 
the correct order and have the children learn the names 
in this order, as this is the alphabet of colors. 

Lesson 25. A Stained Glass Window. Cut oblongs 
of white paper about 3 by 6, then have each child fold 
one lengthwise — a book — and cut off a triangular or 
curved piece from the unfolded corner, so that when 
opened the piece is shaped like a church window. 

Have him then wet both sides with clear water, 
then mix red in the pan of the paint box with his 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

brush, and, take up a very full brush of the color and 
holding it several inches above the paper shake off a 
big drop like a blot in two or three places. Have him 
do the same with the yellow and blue respectively, and 
allow the colors so dropped to mingle at their edges, 
covering the whole paper and giving the effect of a 
stained glass window. The colors should not be 
stirred up together with the brush or they will be- 
come " muddy." Have the children notice that they 
get six colors with only three that they used, — orange 
where the red and yellow mingled, green from the yel- 
low and blue, and violet from the red and blue. This 
is a very important as well as a very instructive lesson 
in color synthesis and no less surprising than instruc- 
tive. Tell them that orange, green and violet are 
called second-ary colors and those they made them 
from — red, blue and yellow — are called first or pri- 
mary colors. 

Lesson 26. Balloons Drawn. Give each child a sheet 
of water color paper and have him arrange half a dozen 
pennies in a cluster near the top of the sheet. Then 
have him, without disturbing the order, draw with a 
pencil around the outside of each, so that he will have 
when finished a drawing of six rings. Then have him 
draw lines from the bottom of each ring to a point near 
the bottom of the sheet of paper, so as to form a collec- 
tion of toy balloons when painted in the following 
lessons. Save. 

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Child Training 

Lesson 27. Balloons of Primary Color. Have each 
child paint his alternate rings drawn in the preceding 
lesson red, yellow, and blue, respectively, being very 
careful not to go beyond the lines. If he is unable to 
do this carefully enough with the water colors, have 
him use colored crayons. Save. Review the fact that 
these are the three most important colors and are 
called First (Primary) colors. The intervening rings 
are to be left blank for the next painting lesson. 

Lesson 28. Balloons of Secondary Color. Using 
the sheet of balloons begun in the preceding lesson, 
have the children mix red and yellow in the pans of 
their paint boxes and with the resulting color (orange) 
paint the blank ring left between the red and yellow 
circles. Have them do the same with the yellow and 
blue, and blue and red, which form the colors green 
and violet, respectively. Review the fact that these 
resulting colors as they are made from the " First " 
colors are called " Second " (Secondary) colors. This 
is a most important lesson and may be made the basis 
of a very interesting or imaginative discussion. 

DRAWING 

Lesson 29. Fruits. Have each child draw with an 
appropriate colored crayon different fruits. Have the 
fruit present, if possible, and call attention to its char- 
acteristics — an apple, pear, banana, plum, lemon, etc. 

Lesson 30. Vegetables. Have each child draw 
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Manual Training — Occupations 

with an appropriate colored crayon different vegetables 
such as the tomato, carrot, radish, parsnip, etc. 

Lesson 31. Flozvers. Have each child draw with 
an appropriate crayon different flowers, such as the 
jonquil, iris, tulip, etc. 

Lesson 2^. Men's Houses. Talk with the children 
about different kinds of dwellings — first those of men 

— a tent, a house, a palace, and about the kind of men 
who live in such houses — Indians and soldiers in a 
tent, kings and queens in palaces, and so on. Have the 
children draw one or several of these houses. Never 
disparage their results nor laugh at their efforts, no 
matter how crude they may be. Suggest improve- 
ments or alterations, but tactfully, so as not to dis- 
courage them. 

Lesson 33. 'Animals' Houses. Talk with the chil- 
dren about the different kinds of dwellings of animals 

— a dog kennel, a barn, a bird house, and have them 
draw each. 

Lesson 34. Church. Talk with the children about 
the house of God — a church — and have them draw 
one with a steeple and a cross. 

Lesson 35. Furniture. Talk with children about 
the furnishings of a house and have them draw such 
articles as might be found in a parlor — a straight 
chair, a rocking chair, a sofa, a table, a piano, a pot of 
ferns, etc. 

Lesson 36. Table Furnishings. Have the children 
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Child Training 

draw articles to be found in the dining room — a cup 
and saucer, teapot, knife and fork, spoon, etc. 

Lesson 37. Kitchen Utensils. Have the children 
draw articles to be found in the kitchen — a frying 
pan, a tub, potato masher, stove, a broom, clothes- 
horse, etc. 

Lesson 38. Bedroom Furniture. Have the children 
draw articles to be found in a bedroom — a bed, a 
bureau, brush, comb, hand mirror, etc. 

Lesson 39. Tools. Have the children draw differ- 
ent tools — a hammer, screw driver, a rake, a hoe, a 
pitchfork, etc. 

Lesson 40. Sun and Moon. Have the children be- 
gin a light " sequence." Ask them what things in 
nature give light — the sun, moon, and stars; what 
things invented by man — candles, lamp, gas, electric 
light. Have each child then draw a horizontal line 
through the center of a sheet of paper to represent the 
horizon — why is it called a horison-tal line? — and 
in the center draw, with the help of a ring or coin, a 
half circle resting on the line — then color it orange 
or red to represent the setting sun. Rays of the same 
color drawn from the sun help the effect. Then have 
him, on another sheet, draw a crescent moon and color 
it yellow. 

Lesson 41. A Candle, Lamp, etc. Have the chil- 
dren draw a light " sequence " — a candle, a lamp, a 
gas jet, and an electric light bulb. 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

Lesson 42. Faces. Have the children draw faces 
making an oval for the outline of the face and putting 
in the features with straight lines arranged all hori- 
zontally or pointing up to the center, or down to the 
center, etc., to give various expressions. 

PAPER FOLDING AND CUTTING 

Lesson 43. Paper Chains — Red. Give each child 
a sheet of red cutting paper about six inches square, 
and have him fold it once, edge to opposite edge, then 
a second time in the same direction, then a third time 
very carefully, keeping the edges even and creasing 
them with his finger nails. Have him open and tear 
it along the creases into strips, or, if he is very young 
and unable to do this well, cut down the creases with 
the scissors. Have him bend a strip end to end till it 
laps, then paste. Have him insert, in the ring thus 
made, another strip and paste its ends together and so 
on with the remaining strips, forming a red chain of 
eight links. 

Lesson 44. Paper Chains — Yellow and Blue. 
Have the children make a yellow and a blue chain as 
directed for a red chain in the previous lesson. 

Lesson 45. A Lantern. Have each child fold a 
square of colored paper edge to edge, then cut slits 
one-half inch apart from the folded edge to within half 
an inch of unfolded edge ; then open and paste together, 
so that strips run lengthwise, to form a lantern. Cut 

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Child Training 

another strip and paste to top edge for a handle. 
This makes a very decorative Christmas tree orna- 
ment. 

Lesson 46. A Reading Book — ^A Singing Book — 
A Window. Give each child a sheet of white paper 
about five inches square and have him fold the lower 
edge to exactly meet the top edge. Ask the children 
what this resembles — a book. Ask them how many 
leaves it has and how many pages. Holding it in your 
hand, " read " a story to them out of it or describe 
imaginary pictures you see there. Have them do the 
same. Then have them fold it again in the opposite 
direction to form the " singing book." Have them 
sing a song from the book. Open it out and they can 
see a " window "of four panes. Have them describe 
what they see through the window. This may be made 
not only a most fascinating game, but a very valuable 
exercise for cultivating the imagination. 

Lesson 47. A Table — A Screen. Have each child 
fold a " Book " then open and fold the two edges to 
coincide with the center line. What does this resemble 
when stood upright ? A pair of doors or window with 
shutters. Partly open it forms a " Table." Crease 
the center line in the opposite direction and stand on 
end to form a " Screen " and have the children tell 
what imaginary things are behind it. 

Lesson 48. A Foot Stool — A Barn — A House. 
Have each child fold the " Book," then without open- 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

ing, fold lengthwise again, then end to end to form the 
eight leaved singing book. Open the singing book and 
fold each end to the center line and partially open to 
form a " Foot Stool." Open out the original square 
which will now be creased into a checkerboard of i6 
squares. Fold this in half; then fold over the upper 
right hand corner and partially opening this end, press 
down to make " A Barn." Treating the opposite 
corner in the same way makes a " House." 

Lesson 49. A Fan — A Washboard. Have each 
child fold a " Fan " as follows : Take a sheet of paper 
about letter size, 8x10, and fold the short edge over 
about half an inch. Invert and fold this strip back. 
Invert and do the same, and continue in this way till the 
entire width of the paper is folded into these narrow 
strips. Pinched together at one end, or tied with a 
string, spread at the other, this forms a " Fan." 
Opened out it forms a " Washboard." 

Lesson 50. A Dart. Have each child take letter 
size sheets of paper and fold a short edge so that it 
coincides with the adjacent long edge. Have him 
then, without opening it, fold the folded edge to the 
same long edge twice in succession to form a " Dart," 
with which he may have some harmless sport in cast- 
ing it at a target. 

Lesson 51. A Cut Design. Have each child fold a 
sheet of colored cutting paper, not less than six inches 
square, corner to diagonally opposite corner, then acute 

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Child Training 

corner to acute corner, a second and a third time, till 
he has eight triangles lying one on top of the other. 
All folding should be most carefully done, the edges 
exactly meeting and the fold creased down firmly and 
evenly. The eight open edges should be held to the 
left. This is the usual folded form from which four 
sided figures are cut. Have the children then, make 
two vertical cuts. Then open the three pieces thus re- 
sulting and, after arranging them in a " form of 
beauty," paste them. 

Lesson 52. A Cut Design. Have each child fold 
sheets of the colored cutting paper as described in the 
preceding lesson, cut in a different direction from the 
one just made, then open, arrange the parts in a form 
of beauty, and paste. 

Lesson 53. A Pin Wheel. Have each child make a 
pin wheel as follows: Fold a square, corner to 
diagonally opposite comer, open, fold the other corner 
to opposite, open and slit down the creases to within 
an inch of the center, fold alternate points thus made 
to center and fasten them down to a stick with a pin. 

Lesson 54. A Tent — An Envelope — A Frame. 
Have each child make a " Tent," an " Envelope," and 
a " Frame " from dictation, as follows : 

(a) Take a sheet of oblong paper about letter size, 
that is 8 X 10. Fold a short edge till it coincides 
with the adjacent long edge and crease (iron) down 
firmly. Fold back the oblong piece remaining and 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

either tear or cut it off. Tell the children this is the 
way they can always make a square from an oblong 
or test a piece of paper or any other material to see 
if it is square. The square folded thus, corner to 
corner, they may then call a tent. This is the first 
step, 

(b) Open the square out flat and fold in the opposite 
direction, corner to corner ; open out and fold one edge 
to opposite edge, open again and fold in opposite direc- 
tion. When they now open out the square it will be 
creased in four intersecting lines — eight lines radiat- 
ing from the center. This is the second step. 

(c) Fold each corner to the center. This is the 
third step — the " Envelope." 

(d) Fold back each of the center triangular points 
to the edge of the envelope, thus forming the " Frame." 

A square of red coated paper (red on one side, white 
on the other) may be used for the above, in which 
case the folding should be done with the red side down 
so that " The Envelope " when finished will be red. 

Lesson 55. The Case — A Crown. Have each 
child fold a square of paper to make a " Case " and a 
" Crown," as follows : 

(a) Fold square of paper to make the " Envelope," 
described in the preceding lesson. 

(b) Invert and fold the comers to the center to form 
the " Case." There will then be four triangles on the 
upper side and four squares on the lower side. 

20s 



Child Training 

'(c)' Invert the " Case " and fold an outside corner 
to the diagonally opposite outside corner so that the 
four small squares are inside. 

(d) Holding the triangle thus formed in the left 
hand with the two points up, lift up the left hand, 
small, inside square and crease it back and the right 
hand, inside square likewise, and you have the 
" Crown." 

Lesson 56, The Accordion. Have each child fold 
a sheet of paper as for the " Fan," described in a pre- 
ceding lesson. Have him then iron down the creases 
with a paper cutter, then tear off each strip very care- 
fully or separate into strips with the paper cutter. In 
either case it is important for success that the folds 
should be firmly ironed down to present a sharp edge. 
As a preparation for this lesson, the children might 
separate the uncut edges of a magazine or book with 
a paper cutter. 

Then have each child take two of the strips thus 
made, and placing the end of one on the end of the 
other and at right angles to it, fold the lower across the 
upper, each one alternately, till each strip is entirely 
folded up. Paste the last fold to the one beneath, in- 
vert and do the same with the first square and when 
pulled out you have the " accordion." 

Lesson 57. A Bed — A Cradle — A Trough. Have 
each child fold a sheet of paper to make a " Bed," a 
" Cradle," and a " Trough," as follows : 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

(a) Make the " Crown," described in a preceding 
lesson, 

(b) Fold back the points that stand up in the center 
to form a " Bed." 

(c) By folding one end point down into the inside, 
this may be converted into a " Cradle." 

(d) By doing the same with the other point the 
" Trough " is made. 

Lesson 58. A Salt Cellar — A Nose Pincher. Have 
each child fold paper to make a " Salt Cellar " or 
" Nose Pincher," as follows : 

(a) Make the " Case." 

(b) Invert, so that the four squares are up, then, 

(c) Holding the case with the left hand under it, 
insert beneath the small squares four fingers of the 
right hand, thrusting them down into the corners, at the 
same time that the center of the case is pushed up from 
beneath and pinched together by the fingers of the 
right hand. 

Lesson 59. A Tray — A Wind Mill. Have each 
child fold paper to make a " Tray " and a " Wind 
Mill," as follows: 

(a) Make the "Envelope." (See lesson 54.) 

(b) Then, instead of inverting to make the " Case," 
fold each corner to the center, making the " Tray." 

(c) Holding the " Tray " in the left hand and keep- 
ing the points of the triangles as nearly as possible in 
place, pull out from underneath each of the square 

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Child Training 

points and crease them backwards, so that four large 
triangular wings stand up. This is rather difficult, but 
important, for several interesting forms are made from 
it. 

(d) Fold these wings back, as shown below, to make 
a " Wind Mill." 

Lesson 60. Napkins. Have each child fold paper 
or linen napkin's in above forms for luncheon or pic- 
nic party. 

Lesson 61. Curls — Lamplighter — Spools — 
Shovel — Fork, etc. Have each child make strips as 
directed in lesson 56. Then have him roll each strip 
up tightly on a stick. Then pull out the inside of two 
of the rolls to form " curls " which may be tucked 
behind the ears. Paste the loose end of each of the 
remaining rolls, then punch out their centers to form 
a " Lamplighter " or horn. By pinching the larger 
end, a " Spoon " or " Shovel " is made. By slitting 
up the large end thus flattened, a " Fork," " Paint 
Brush " or " Broom " is made. 

Lesson 62. Double Boat. Have each child fold 
paper to make a " Double Boat," as follows : 

(a) Make the "Wind Mill." (See lesson 59.) 

(b) Fold 2 wings so that they lie alongside of each 
other in one direction and the other two in the opposite 
direction. 

(c) Invert and fold in half, lengthwise to form a 
" Double Boat." 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

Various other forms may be made by folding the 
wings of the " Wind Mill " in different directions. 

STRING WORK — KNOTTING, STRING FIGURES^ ETC. 

Lesson 6^,. Cat's Cradle. Teach the children 
" Cat's Cradle." Give each a string, at least four feet 
long before the ends are tied together, and have them 
learn the sequence of figures and practise doing them 
till they can complete the series without bungling, so 
that their " fingers are not all thumbs," 

Lesson 64. Overhand Knot. Get two pieces of 
rope about six feet long and three quarters to an inch 
in diameter for use in teaching knot tying. 

Give each child two pieces of fishing line or wrap- 
ping cord about a foot long. Using the rope, show 
the children how to make the simple " Overhand " 
knot and have them practise making it first with the 
rope and then with string. Tell them always to hold 
the main part of the rope, or string, in the left hand as 
if it were attached to a ball or stake, with the free end 
pointing towards the right, and make the knot with the 
right hand by passing the free end over the main 
part. 

The overhand knot is made in this way by passing the 
free end back over the main part and then up through 
the loop thus made. 

Lesson 65. Blood Knot. In the same way teach the 
" Blood Knot." The blood knot is made by passing 

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Child Training 

the free end back over the main part, then through the 
loop several times and drawing taut. 

Lesson 66. Figure 8 Knot. In the same way teach 
the " Figure 8 Knot." 

The figure 8 knot is made by passing free end back 
over the main part then round it and down through 
loop. 

Lesson 6y. Reef Knot and Granny Knot. In the 
same way teach the " Reef Knot," for tying two pieces 
or ends of string together and caution against the 
faulty *' granny " knot which it resembles. 

The reef knot is made thus : With a string end in 
each hand (i) put right hand end under other, then 
left under other, then (2) put right hand over other 
and through loop. The " granny " knot which is an 
insecure knot is made the same way as the reef knot, 
except in the (2) movement, the right hand end is put 
incorrectly under other and through loop. 

Remember " Under, under, over " to get the reef 
knot correct. 

Have the children practise tying up bundles, passing 
the string round once lengthwise and crosswise, and 
tying with a reef knot. 

Lesson 68. Bow Knot. In the same way teach the 
" Bow Knot " and caution against the " granny " bow 
knot. 

To make the bow knot do (i) movement of reef 
knot then (2) make a loop of left hand free end (3) 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

put right hand over neck of loop {under would make 
it a " granny " bow knot which would slip or come 
untied) (4) loop right hand free end, put it through 
original loop and draw all taut. 

Have the children practise tying their shoe strings, 
ties, hair ribbons and sashes. 

Lesson 69. Slip Knot. In the same way teach 
" Slip Knot." 

To make the slip knot hold the string as usual in left 
hand with free end pointing to right, then with 
right hand take hold of the main part of the string be- 
low left hand and put it over free end then through 
loop and draw taut. 

Lesson 70. Plaiting. Teach plaiting three strings. 

Take three strings, pieces of tape or ribbon, prefer- 
ably of different colors, tie their ends together and 
fasten down with a thumb tack. Holding the strings 
in the hands so that there is always a central string 
and one on each side, put the right and left string al- 
ternately over the one in the middle. 

Lesson 71 . Twist Knot. Teach the " Twist Knot." 

The twist knot is made by folding a single string 
back on itself so as to give three parallel strands, then 
plaiting these strands exactly as if they were three in- 
dependent strings. 

Lesson y2. Chain Knot. Teach " Chain Knot " 
or Chain Stitch. 

This is done either with the fingers, a hook or a 
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Child Training 

crochet needle. Make a slip knot, then pull or hook 
the main part of the string through this loop so as to 
form another loop. Continue in the same way pull- 
ing the main part of the string through each loop to 
form another loop. 

Lesson 73. Bead Knotting. Have each child knot 
a string, preferably a colored one, at regular inter- 
vals, say every inch, or make two or three knots 
close together at intervals of two inches. The ends 
may then be raveled out into " tassels." 

WORK FOR SPECIAL SEASONS 

The following lessons are to be given at the ap^ 
propriate season. 

Thanksgiving Season 

Ask the children who of their number have used 
bows and arrows, and tell them what connection the 
Indians had with Thanksgiving. When the Pilgrims 
first came to this country they found many Indians, 
some friendly, others hostile. After they had been 
here about a year, they gave thanks that their lives had 
been spared and that their first crops had been success- 
ful. The friendly Indians had taught them how to 
grow Indian corn or maize. (In Europe they call 
wheat and other grain "corn.") This was the first 
Thanksgiving Day. 

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Manual Training — Occupations 

Have each child draw bows and arrows, a tomahawk, 
a canoe, a pipe of peace, etc. 

Have each child model " mud pies " — bread, cake, 
plum-pudding, etc., for a make-believe Thanksgiving 
Dinner. 

Have each child make a cornucopia of different col- 
ored paper by folding and pasting an edge of a square 
sheet of paper to the adjoining edge and cutting and 
pasting a paper loop to the upper corner. Have him 
pop corn and fill the cornucopia for a friend or relative. 
Explain that a cornucopia means " horn of plenty " and 
ask the children why it and the corn are appropriate 
to Thanksgiving. 

Christmas Season 

Have the children cut stars of 8 and 6 points. 

Call their attention to the fact that the six pointed 
star which is called Solomon's Seal (the Jewish em- 
blem) is made of two triangles. Ask them which 
they like best. " Do the stars in heaven have points? " 
" No, they are balls of fire, but they give out rays of 
light which look something like points." Tell them 
the story of the Star of Bethlehem. 

To make the 8 pointed star, fold a square sheet of 
paper (gold paper if it can be obtained) corner to di- 
agonally opposite corner, then acute corner to acute 

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Child Training 

corner twice in succession, then holding the closed 
edge to the right, cut in the lines indicated below. 




To make the 6 pointed star, fold a square of paper 
corner to diagonally opposite corner, then acute corner 
to acute corner. Then instead of folding corner to 
corner a third time, fold each edge of right angle 
towards the center, so that one exactly overlaps the 
other before ironing the edges down. Then cut as in- 
dicated below. 





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Manual Training — Occupations 

Have the children learn to do up a Christmas book 
or bundle. The wrapping paper should be cut to such 
a length that it will only lap about an inch when 
wrapped around the book and its width should be the 
length of the book plus twice its thickness. 

Have each child draw a Christmas tree with candles 
on it. 

Have each child make Christmas bells by folding 
sheets of red paper in half and cutting half a bell from 
the folded edge, as shown below. The half bells, when 
unfolded, become whole bells which should be pasted 
on a sheet of white paper and connected by a ribbon 
drawn with crayon. 

Have each child draw; stockings and paint them 
different colors. 

Have each child cut lancet-shape strips of red paper, 
arrange them about a center and paste to make 
poinsettia leaves. 

Have each child draw, or draw for him, a holly spray 
and have him color the leaves and berries. 

St. Valentine's Day 

Have each child fold sheets of red paper in half and 
cut out half hearts, as shown below. Then unfold, 
paste and connect by a ribbon drawn with crayon, as 
in the case of the Christmas bells. Ask him why 
hearts are associated with St. Valentine's Day. 

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Child Training 

Have him make an envelope for the heart valentine 
and join the flaps by pasting a small red heart at their 
meeting point. 

Have each child cut several hearts, large and small, 
paste on a sheet of paper and connect by a ribbon made 
with the red crayon. 

Washington's Birthday 

Have each child draw with a crayon a hatchet, a 
cluster of cherries, or a cherry tree with cherries on it 
and tell the children the story of Washington and the 
cherry tree. 

Have each child draw with the red crayon a row 
of fire crackers with fuses. Have the children make 
powderless fire crackers as follows : 

Roll up on a stick strips of red paper 2 inches wide, 
paste the loose end and insert a piece of string in the 
center for a fuse. 

Have each child fold several sheets of paper in half 
and cut so as to form shields. 

Have each child fold a sheet of newspaper to make 
a cocked hat, as follows : 

(a) Placing the newspaper before him in reading 
position, have him fold the upper edge down to the 
lower. 

(b)' Fold the right edge to left and open again to 
get a vertical crease down the center. 

(c) Fold the upper left and right hand corners down 
216 



Manual Training — Occupations 

so that the upper edges meet in a vertical line in the 
center. 

(d) Fold up half the thickness of the oblong strip 
of paper at the bottom; invert and fold up the re- 
maining thickness of paper. 

The hat may be made smaller and still more secure 
and neater as follows: Stretch the sides of the hat 
apart so that the front and back peaks come together, 
lap the projecting corners of the hat rim and fold the 
lower corners up to the top. 

The hat will remain in shape if worn, but to make 
it more secure, it may be pinned, care being taken, 
however, that the pin point does not protrude. A tas- 
sel or plume made of colored tissue paper pinned to 
the top point of course makes the hat more gay. 






/' 



/ 



"T 



\ 



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217 



OCCUPATIONS 

To a child the most interesting manual training is 
that which is in the nature of some grown up occupa- 
tion, some " domestic " art. What physical training 
is to free play, formal manual training is to occupa- 
tions. One is systematic drill, the other more or less 
spontaneous, concrete activity. One is supplementary 
to the other and both are valuable. 

The child's desire to imitate his elders and help in 
their work offers an opportunity to train him in the 
elements of both man and woman's work in and about 
the house. Every normal child wants to help the 
" hired man " cut grass or the cook shell peas, and it 
is only because he is " in the way " and a " hindrance 
rather than a help " that these services so useful to the 
child are usually denied him. 

In the case of a child in the family the parents in- 
stead of discouraging or forbidding the " helping 
hand " in household occupations should look upon this 
work as part of the child's educational training and 
make provision for such "help" even though it is 
an actual hindrance, creating the occasion if the usual 
occupation does not admit of being interfered with. 

2i8 



Manual Training — Occupations 

In the case of a class the opportunities should be 
made for the children to do the entire work them- 
selves, of course with explanation, direction and as- 
sistance at first. 

Following are some of the occupations which the 
children may be taught: 

INDOORS 

Airing bed. Show them how bedding is to be pulled 
apart and spread open for sunning and airing. 

Making bed. Show them how to spread and tuck 
in under and upper sheet and blankets, lay pillows, etc. 

Dusting. Show them how to use dust cloth, being 
careful not to break objects and not to leave corners 
and other spots untouched. 

Show them how to use dust pan and brush. 

Setting table. Show them how to do this and other 
housekeeping occupations, such as: 

Washing Dishes 

Cleaning Silver 

Taking Spots out of Clothing 

Watering Plants 

Arranging Flowers 

Sewing. Show them how to thread a needle and 
sew on buttons. Let them make a bean bag, using the 
whipping stitch, or do other pieces of rough sewing, 
but on real material. 

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Child Training 

Cooking. Show them how to boil eggs, soft, me- 
dium and hard. 

Show them how to bake apples and potatoes. 

Show them how to toast bread. 

Show them how to pop corn. 

Show them how to make molasses taffy. 

OUTDOORS 

Let them help push the lawn mower. 

Let them water the lawn. 

Let them rake leaves or grass. 

Let them hoe, and dig in the garden. 

Let them plant flower or vegetable seeds and watch 
and care for them. 

Let them feed and care for such pets as dog, cat, 
chickens, rabbits, squirrels, pigeons. 

Let them use hammer and nails. 

Let them " paint " fence, wall or steps with a pail of 
water and a full size 4 inch painter's brush. 

These are only a few of a great many possible oc- 
cupations. Depending on the location and nature of 
the place many more occupations will suggest them- 
selves. 



2220 




Photog:raph by Bachrach 

INFORMATION 
"Learning to tell time" — Teaching fundamentals 



PART VIII 
INFORMATION 

Though a child is constantly gathering information 
every moment of the day, from his surroundings and 
associates and incidentally from all the previous train- 
ing laid down, it is well for completeness and system 
to have a short period in which certain facts of in- 
formation are systematically presented to him, both 
for the sake of the facts and for the sake of the prac- 
tice gained in learning facts, that is, learning how to 
study. " Knowledge is Classification," Herbert Spen- 
cer says, and even though some of the facts learned 
may not be new, the classification of them as given 
below adds to the child's knowledge and encourages 
a scientific attitude and habit of mind. 

On the other hand, it is unsafe to take any knowl- 
edge for granted or assume that the child knows even 
the simplest thing he may be supposed to know — a 
searching cross questioning will often reveal the most 
amazing and unbelievable ignorance. This is the pe- 
riod, therefore, in which the beginnings of what are 
most usually thought of as school subjects are to be 
taught — science, history, language, etc., and in which 

22:^ 



Child Training 

the child is to gain practice in acquiring knowledge, in 
learning Kow to study. 

Accordingly a syllabus of the information suitable 
or useful for a child is here given. It provides a com- 
prehensive survey of all the chief departments of hu- 
man knowledge which afterwards, in later school years, 
will be expanded and studied in detail. At the In- 
formation Period each day the teacher's business is 
to instruct the children in the subjects suggested in this 
outline, taking up as many points at a lesson as the 
time allows or the children can digest. 

METHOD OF INSTRUCTION 

Herbart and his disciples, especially Zille and Rein, 
explain with great care and detail formal steps for 
giving instruction. For the purpose of this period, 
however, it will only be necessary for the teacher or 
parent to PRESENT the subject to the child as simply, 
clearly and directly as possible, and then call upon 
him to REACT on this presentation as strongly as 
possible. 

Too much formalism in following out certain steps 
in a certain sequence may tend to the mechanical and 
it is a safer plan for the teacher or parent to have the 
proper spirit and then to concentrate her attention on 
but two things, PRESENTATION and REACTION, 
as follows : 

Presentation. First she should tell, explain, show 
224 



Information 

— as clearly, simply, vividly, Interestingly as possible 
all she can about the subject. This is the Presenta- 
tion. 

Reaction. Then she should have the child tell back 
to her in his own words and own way, all he has 
gathered from her presentation, comment on it, ask 
questions, make suggestions, discuss it, investigate it 
further, experiment. This is the Reaction — the di- 
gestive process that is absolutely essential to complete 
the instruction, and without which the presentation 
is wasted, rendered null and void — without effect — 
" in one ear and out the other." 

It is most important and even essential, for the 
young and untrained child to be put and kept in a good 
humor during both the Presentation and Reaction. 
He should be cajoled or wheedled into attending and 
reacting, but never threatened or scolded. His atti- 
tude at first is only what nature has bestowed on him, 
and to excite or rouse his antipathy or ugly emotions 
by harsh words or treatment defeats the attempt to 
impose knowledge or to train in acquiring it. 

An older person may voluntarily react — think it 
over, debate it with himself and one of education's 
tasks is to form this habit of voluntary reaction on 
the part of the learner, but in the child the reaction 
must be called forth by the active questioning, sug- 
gestion and discussion of the teacher. 

The popular expressions " pouring in " and " draw- 
225 



Child Training 

ing out " applied to methods of Instruction are incor- 
rect even figuratively and also misleading, and there is 
no particular virtue in the process called " drawing 
out " or superiority over that of " pouring in," 
" Drawing all out " without " pouring in " is just as 
bad as " pouring all in " without " drawing out," if 
these expressions mean as supposedly they do — pre- 
senting and reacting. Both are necessary in instruc- 
tion. The subject must be presented and then, in order 
to become a possession of the child, it must be reacted 
upon by him. 

Starting with the child himself — his own body — 
and working outward in ever widening circles, from 
the known to the unknown, the teacher should tell 
him about all the things that are of interest or value 
for him to know about in the world around him. 

The teacher, however, should not adhere strictly to 
this order — from the center outward — but, follow- 
ing the lead suggested by the association of the sub- 
ject or the interests of the child, she may wander far 
afield — to return, however, to the next point in order 
after the preceding subject has been pursued suffi- 
ciently, in order to make sure she is covering the 
ground. 

SAMPLE LESSON 

In the first lesson the child learns no new facts 
except possibly the names " trunk " and " limbs " and 

226 



Information 

this information is of little or no value but he must 
first take in what is said and then give it back, he 
must attend and react, he must listen and recite and 
the ability to do this is one of the most important 
study powers to be acquired. 

The teacher might start off with the first lesson, as 
follows : 

" I 'm going to tell you some things about your own 
bodies which you may already know but when I get 
through I want to see if you can tell me everything 
I have told you and perhaps something more besides. 
Now, watch and listen till I get through. 

" Your body has a head, a trunk and limbs. This 
is the head (pointing to it), as you know; this part 
is called the trunk and the arms and legs are called 
limbs. 

" Now see if you can tell me the parts of the body." 

The children may not be able to take in all of this 
at one lesson — depending on their maturity and pre- 
vious training, if any. Indeed if this is the very first 
lesson of this sort it would not be at all surprising 
if not a single child could even start to tell what he 
had been told when the time came for him to do so. 
The teacher should then repeat what she has said, 
starting with " I 'm going to tell you " and ending 
with " Now see if you can " — and still again, if neces- 
sary, until each one of the children Is aroused to make 
the effort to retain and retell what has been told him. 

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Child Training 

She should then take up the next points, starting and 
ending in a similar way: 

" The things you have only one of are (pointing 
to each as mentioned), one forehead, one nose, one 
mouth, one tongue, one chin, one neck. • 

" The things you have two of are, two eyes, two 
ears, two cheeks, two lips, two shoulders, two arms, 
two elbows, two wrists, two hands, two thumbs, two 
legs, two knees, two ankles, two feet. ' 

" You have five fingers on each hand ; you have five 
toes on each foot." 

Each succeeding day the teacher should take up in 
a similar way the next points given below — of course 
regulating the amount to the capacity of the children. 

INDEPENDENT RECITATION 

The teacher should aim to have a child give the 
whole recitation, in his own words and own way of 
course, without questions or suggestions. It may be 
necessary at first to ask questions, in order to elicit all 
the child has learned but he should be asked to tell the 
whole story without prompting, and later, if he is 
unable to go on, the next child should be called upon 
to proceed. In any case even when the child can tell 
the whole thing, he need not be allowed to do so, but 
may be interrupted and the next child asked to go on 
with the recitation. 



228 



Information 

QUIZ QUESTIONS 

Though questions that serve to prompt the child 
should be discarded as soon as possible, " quiz " ques- 
tions that test the child's knowledge and understand- 
ing should be made use of constantly to make sure that 
the child's information is not mere rote memory and 
that he really knows what he is talking about. 

For instance, if the child says, " My body h^s a 
head " — then hesitates, the teacher should not ask the 
prompting question, " What next ? " or " What else ? " 
or " What is this ? " but wait for the child to make the 
effort to remember "trunk." When, however, the 
child has finished, the teacher should " quiz " him thus, 
" What do you mean by ' trunk ' ? " or " Which part of 
your body is called the trunk? " 

Review the various groups of facts as finished and 
from time to time thereafter, starting the child off 
in his recitation by a general . direction or question 
rather than a specific one. Thus for example, ask 
him, "What do you know about your body?" or 
" Tell me all you know about your body." 

This is better than several questions, first about the 
lips, then about the tongue, then about the teeth, and 
so on, for it exacts more mental effort, more thought 
in the association and arrangement of ideas. 

These requirements call for some mental effort — 
close attention, association, classification, and the chil- 

229 



Child Training 

dren though starting with little ability to make this 
effort should develop more and more as the lessons 
progress — the cultivation of these qualities being quite 
as important and as desirable as the information ac- 
quired. 

Following, therefore, is a syllabus of the whole field 
of knowledge that an educated child under school age 
may be expected to acquire. Most of it should inter- 
est him, but whether it does or not he should be re- 
quired to react and to make the effort to retain for 
he should acquire the habit of making a mental effort 
whenever necessary whether he is interested or not. 
This is the first step in learning how to study. 

The syllabus aims to show both how much and how 
little may be taught. Of course its suggestions are 
not to be followed too literally and the teacher should 
expand a topic, or on the contrary abridge it or omit 
it altogether, if the interest or ability of the child in- 
dicates that it would be wise to do so. 

SYLLABUS OF INFORMATION LESSONS 

THE BODY 

Is made of head, trunk and limbs. 
Has one forehead, one nose, one mouth, one tongue 
one chin. Learn following nursery rimes : 

Brow bender. 
Eye peeper. 
Nose smeller, 
230 



Information 

Mouth eater, 

Chin chopper. ' 

Knock at the door; {Tap on forehead) 

Peep in; {Look into eyes) 

Lift up the latch; {Raise nose with finger) 

Walk in. {Put finger in mouth) 

Has two eyes, two ears, two cheeks, two lips, two 
shoulders, two arms, two elbows, two wrists, two 
hands, two thumbs, two legs, two knees, two ankles, 
two feet. 

Has five fingers on each hand, five toes on each foot. 
Learn to say the following rime; touch a finger as 
you say each line : 

This little pig went to market; 
This little pig stayed at home. 
This little pig had roast meat; 
This little pig had none; 
This little pig cried " Wee, wee, 
I can't find my way home." 

Head. Has hair. Hair is called blonde, if light, 
brunette, if black or very dark. Use only your own 
comb and brush. 

Forehead. Don't scowl, frown or look cross. It 
makes ugly wrinkles. 

Eye has brow, lid, lashes, pupil, tears. What color 
are your eyes and your friend's ? Blue, brown, hazel ? 
Don't rub eyes. When there is anything in the eye, 
pull upper lid down over lower and blow nose. 

231: 



Child Training 

Ear has shell to catch sound, and a drum. Clean 
ears carefully. Don't stick anything in that might hurt 
the drum. 

Nose has two nostrils. Don't snuffle. Don't 
breathe through mouth. 

Mouth has lips, tongue, gums, teeth. Lips — Don't 
pout. Tongue should be pink, not white coated, 
if well. First teeth are called " milk teeth." Per- 
manent teeth begin to come about six years of age. 
Clean up and down not across with brush and tooth 
paste at night and antiseptic mouth wash every morn- 
ing. Don't pick teeth with pins or needles. Use den- 
tal floss. Don't bite off thread, don't crack nuts, don't 
eat very sour nor very hot things. Chew food thor- 
oughly. Don't taste anything unclean or improper. 
Always put your hand over your mouth if you must 
yawn. 

Throat. If food goes down wrong " lane " drop 
on hands and knees or stand on head. 

Chest. Feel ribs and collar bones. Two lungs, one 
on each side take in air, as a sponge does water. Air 
is necessary to life. Get as much pure out-of-door air 
as you can. 

Heart. Feel heart beat on left hand side and listen 
to the heart beat of others. Heart pumps blood 
through the body. 

Arteries and Veins. Are the pipes through which 
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Information 

blood is pumped. Feel pulse with tips of fingers 
placed on thumb-side of wrist. 

Stomach. Digests food which makes blood, which 
builds up body. 

Muscle. Feel muscles in jaws, arm, leg, etc., when 
you contract them. Muscles do the work of the body. 
Exercising makes them grow. 

Bone. Feel your skull, bones in arm, in front of 
legs, etc. Hold backbone erect. Crazy bone is in el- 
bow. 

Joints. Are wherever you can bend your body. 
Find as many as you can. Knee cap is over knee 
joint. Feel it. 

Hand. Has palm, notice its lines, thumbs, index 
finger, middle finger, little finger, knuckles, nails. 
Clean under nails with brush, trim them round — don't 
bite them — push back skin at base of nail till white 
" moon " shows. 

Feet. Don't wear tight shoes. 

CLOTHING 

(Samples of all materials should be in hand for the 
following lessons and when feasible the raw materials 
and the process of manufacture should also be shown 
or illustrated.) 

Cotton Cloth. Is cool. Your light clothes and 
some under-clothes are made of cotton cloth. Ravel 

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Child Training 

out a thread. Cotton comes from a plant. It is white 
and fluffy when it grows. It is colored with dyes. 
Name as many other things as you can that are made 
of cotton. 

Woolen Cloth. Is warm. It costs more than cot- 
ton. It is made from the hair of sheep. Ravel out 
a thread. Burn a thread of this and smell it and bum 
a thread of cotton and smell the difference. One 
grows out of the ground and is a plant or vegetable, 
the other is an animal. Wool shrinks when washed. 

Linen. Is fine and durable. Your handkerchiefs 
are made of it. It also is from a plant — the flax — 
but is not as cheap as cotton. 

Silk. Is smooth and glossy. It is spun by a cater- 
pillar called the silk worm. He closes himself in with 
this silk, making himself a covering that looks like a 
peanut and is called a cocoon, and when he has gone to 
sleep inside, men unwind the silk. 

Leather. Is made from the skin of the cow. Why 
are shoes made of it? 

Buttons. Are made of bone and " Mother of 
Pearl " which is shell. 

FOOD 

(These lessons should be given at the table or in 
the kitchen or pantry — in any case always with 
samples in hand. When possible, experiments should 

234 



Information 

be made or excursions taken to see the origin or pro- 
duction of food.) 

Water. Comes from springs or wells, which are 
made by rain soaking through ground. Visit reser- 
voir or water supply. 

Milk and Cream. Come from the cow. Cream is 
lighter and therefore rises to top. Anything lighter 
than milk or water floats in it, anything heavier sinks. 
Crumb bread into milk, it floats and is lighter. Put 
salt or sugar in water, it sinks and is heavier. 

Butter. Is made from cream (show process). 
Milk sours and becomes clabber. 

Eggs. Are laid by the hen. Hunt nest and eggs 
when feasible. Other birds lay eggs too. Fish also 
lay eggs. 

Cereal. Oatmeal, grits, cornmeal, etc., are made 
from the seeds of plants. 

Bread. Is made of flour which is made of wheat 
which grows in the field. 

Meat. Is the flesh of animals — the cow (beef, 
veal), the pig (pork, bacon, ham), the sheep (lamb, 
mutton), chicken, etc. 

Vegetables. Potatoes grow under ground; toma- 
toes on a plant; peas and beans in a pod, etc. 

Fruits. Apples and pears, strawberries, raspberries, 
etc., are fruits. Peaches and cherries have only one 
seed. 

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Child Training 

Sugar. Comes from a plant called the sugar cane 
and also from a beet. 

Salt. Comes from salt sea water. 

Spices. Come from plants. 

(Other foods may be studied in the same way.) 

FURNITURE 

Chairs, tables, desks, etc. Are made of the wood 
of trees, usually mahogany, oak or pine. Show one 
of each kind. 

Beds. The bedstead is made of wood or of metal 
dug out of the ground. The mattress is stuffed with 
hair or cotton to make it soft and springy. 

China Plates, Cups and Saucers, Vases, etc. Are 
made of clay baked. Show children a " willow ware " 
blue china plate, point out the willow tree and have 
them learn the old rime that describes the picture: 

Two pigeons flying high, 
Chinese vessel sailing by. 
Weeping willow hanging o'er. 
Bridge with three men, if not four. 

Chinese temple, there it stands, 
Seems to cover all the lands, 
Apple tree with apples on, 
A pretty fence to end my song. 

Tell them the story of the picture. 
A Chinese girl loved a poor man but her father 
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wanted her to marry a rich man who loved her. The 
girl and the poor man ran away across the bridge 
(see them) with the father after them (see him). 
But they escaped in a boat to the island (see it), 
where they lived happily till the jealous, rich lover 
came in a boat (see it) and set fire to their home, 
from the ashes of which they arose as two pigeons 
(see them). 

Knives, Forks, Spoons. Are made of iron or sil- 
ver, which are metals dug out of the ground. 

Stationery. What do you think pens, pencils, ink, 
and — here is a hard one — paper are made of? 

LIGHT 

Sun. Gives light by day. 

Moon and Stars. Give light by night. By day 
sunlight shines in through the glass windows. What 
you can see through is called transparent. What you 
can't see through is called opaque. 

Glass. Is transparent, but it is made of melted 
sand which is opaque! 

Magnifying Glass. If you take a reading glass or 
any magnifying glass and let the sun shine through 
it so as to make a fine spot of light on your hand or 
a piece of paper, it will burn you or scorch the 
paper. Try it. Long years ago people used to light 
fires this way. A magnifying glass enlarges things. 
A microscope enlarges small things. A telescope en- 

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Child Training 

larges far away things, or makes them seem nearer. 
Some spectacles magnify, some twist things. Some 
window panes also twist things. See if you can find 
one. Look at print, a picture or your hand, through 
a microscope — through a pair of spectacles. Look 
at a distant object through opera glasses or a tele- 
scope. 

Glass Prisms. If you let the sunlight fall through 
a glass prism the white light comes out separated into 
six colors, red, orange, yellow, blue, green, violet. 
Prove it by experiment. 

Mirror. Glass with quicksilver on the back is 
called a " mirror " or " looking-glass " because you 
can look at yourself in it. It imitates everything you 
do. Smile — it smiles back. Scowl or look cross — 
it doesn't look pretty, does it? Can you see your- 
self in anything else? Long time ago people used 
to use bright, shiny brass or steel for mirrors. When 
you go out of doors try to find a spring in which you 
can see yourself. Long ago there was a vain young 
man named Narcissus who spent so much time ad- 
miring himself in a spring that he turned into a flower 
hanging over the edge. Give the children a small 
mirror — not a broken piece with which they might 
cut themselves — and allow them to throw a dancing 
spot of light on the walls and ceiling. Tell them the 
story of the Fairy Tinker Bell who was the playmate 
of Peter Pan, the boy who never grew up. Tinker 

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Information 

was a dancing spot of light and talked by jingling 
bells. 

Candles, oil lamps, gas, electricity are used to give 
light. Which is the best and why ? 

Learn this riddle for a candle : 

Little Nan Etticoat, 
In a white petticoat. 
And a red nose; 
The longer she stands, 
The shorter she grows. 

FIRE 

Light is made by something on fire. The sun is 
on fire, the candle and lamp wick are on fire, the elec- 
tric lamp wire is white-hot. 

The firefly, however, gives light without being on 
fire or even hot. 

You can start a fire with a burning glass — then 
you get your fire straight from the sun which is a ball 
of fire. You can start it by striking sparks from 
flint with steel, or you can start it with matches. 

If you rub your hands together fast they get warm. 
Try it. If you could rub sticks together fast enough 
they would get afire. 

Fire is used to heat houses, to cook food. Can you 
think of anything else it is used for? 

If you heat water long enough it will bubble. 
This is boiling and when water boils it makes steam. 

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Child Training 

If steam is bottled up it will burst its way out. Steam 
runs engines. Wood and coal with which fire is made 
are called fuel. 

SOUND 

Stretch threads tightly across a wooden box and 
twang the strings. Sound is made by rapid shaking 
(vibrating). Open the piano so that the strings 
show. Strike a note and touch its string gently. You 
will feel the shaking and if you stop the shaking you 
stop the sound. Strike a drinking glas§, a bell, a 
lamp globe with a pencil and stop the sound, by 
touching it with your finger. Rub your finger along 
the edge of a finger bowl till it gives out a note. 
Stretch a string on a stick, a violin, banjo, or guitar, 
and twang it as you do so. Stretch it still tighter. 
The tighter the string the higher the note. Shorten 
the string by " stopping " it so that only part vibrates. 
The shorter the string the higher the note. 

ELECTRICITY AND MAGNETISM 

With a horse shoe magnet try picking up pins, 
sticks, hairpins, cuff buttons, pens, pencils, paper, 
needles and other small objects. What kind of things 
will it pick up? This is magnetism. Put a few 
flakes of torn paper on the table, then rub the back 
of a comb briskly over your coat sleeve and hold it 
to the bits of paper. This is magnetism. Shuffle 

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Information 

across the rug without lifting your shoes, and touch 
another's cheek or chin with your finger. This is 
electricity. Electricity rings bells, makes lights, 
works the telephone. Lightning is electricity. 

TIME 

The clock tells what time to get up, to go to bed, 
to eat our meals, to work, to play. Watch the pen- 
dulum or second hand of a clock that ticks seconds, 
or suspend a ring or small weight by a string 39^ 
inches long and start it swinging. No matter how 
wide a 39^^ inch pendulum swings it takes one second 
for a swing. Watch the second hand of a watch 
or a clock go once round the face. That is a minute. 
Watch the minute hand at intervals till it also has 
gone round the face. That is an hour. Learn to tell 
I, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, II, 12 o'clock by the short 
hand. 

Learn : 

Hickory, dickcry, dock, 
The mouse ran up the clock. 

The clock struck one, 
And down he run, 

Hickory, dickory, dock. • 

Learn riddle: 

When is a clock dangerous? 
Ans. When it strikes one. 
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Child Training 

Seven days make a week. 

Learn the days of the week: Monday, Tuesday, 
Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday. 
Learn : 

Monday's child is fair of face, 
Tuesday's child is full of grace, 
Wednesday's child is born to woe, 
Thursday's child has far to go, 
Friday's child is loving and giving, 
Saturday's child has to work for its living, 
But the child that is born on the Sabbath day is blithe 
and bonny and good and gay. 

Learn the months of the year and the seasons. 
Learn : 

Thirty days hath September, 

April, June and November; 

AIL the rest have thirty-one. 

Except the second month alone; 

To it we twenty-eight assign, 

Till Leap Year gives it twenty-nine. 

Learn when Christmas comes, when snow, when 
flowers, when rain, when wind. 

HISTORY 

Give child an idea of historical time. Instead of 
dates speak of The Present, Little while ago, Long 
ago and Long, long ago, and tell him what happened 
at those times as follows : 

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Information 

Present* (Tell child about two or three great men 
and two or three important events.) 

Little while ago. George Washington was father 
of our country, the United States. 

Long ago. Christ lived. 

Long, long ago. Old Testament stories took place. 

MEASURES OF LENGTH 

This is an inch (show inch rule, and test objects 
brought to be measured). Find everything you can 
that is about an inch long. 

This is a foot. Find everything you can that is 
about a foot long. 

How tall are you ? Find out. 

This is a yard. How many feet in a yard? Find 
everything you can that is about a yard long. 

It is a mile to . Have you ever been there? 

Have you ever walked there? 

MEASURES OF CAPACITY 

Liquid Measure: 

This is a pint. See how many drinking glasses one 
pint will fill. 

This is a quart. See how many pints it will fill. 

This is a gallon. See how many quarts it will fill. 

Fill bottles, tin cans, pitchers, buckets, etc., from 
these measures and see how much they will hold. 

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Child Training 

Let children play store using bottles filled with water 
for merchandise. 

Dry Measure: 

Explain as above, a dry pint, dry quart, peck and 
bushel. 

Let the children play store using cans filled with 
sand to represent sugar, peas, corn, coffee, tea, etc. 

MEASURE OF WEIGHT 

This is a pound. Put it on one side of a pair of 
scales and find other things that will nearly balance it, 
that is, weigh a pound. 

Find out how much you weigh. 

VERTICAL LINES 

Are " standing up " lines like fence posts and tele- 
graph poles. 

Ask the children what other things are vertical — 
themselves, when they stand erect, a lamp post, a tree, 
a table leg, edge of a door, etc. 

Make a "plumb line" by tying a small weight to 
the end of a string two or three feet long. If the 
other end is held in the fingers the line is always ver- 
tical. Builders put a plumb line along side the walls 
they are building to see if they are vertical. Test in 
this way the edge of the picture frames on the wall, 
to see if they are "hanging straight," that is, "verti- 

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Information 

cally." Have the children run their fingers along all 
the vertical lines they can see in the room. 

HORIZONTAL LINES 

Are lying down lines. Ask the children to name 
all the things they can think of that are horizontal, — 
themselves, when they are asleep, the floor, a telegraph' 
wire, etc. Have them run their fingers along all the 
horizontal lines they can see in the room. Use a 
" level," or improvise one by filling a tall, straight 
sided bottle, or a small vial with water, all except a 
bubble of air. Lay the bottle on its side and it is 
horizontal when the bubble is centered. Lay this level 
on objects to see if they are really horizontal. 

PARALLEL LINES 

Lie in the same direction. They may be parallel 
vertical lines and parallel horizontal lines. Ask the 
children to name all the things they can that are 
parallel — gate posts (vertical parallel lines), a rail- 
way (horizontal parallel lines). 

ANGLES 

Are corners. (Illustrate with two sticks, pencils or 
rulers.) If it is a square corner it is called a right 
angle. If it is bigger than a right angle it is called a 
blunt angle, if less a sharp angle. 



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Child Training 

GEOMETRICAL FORMS 

Give the children each a sheet of paper and have 
them place the short edge nearest them. Ask them to 
point to the front edge, back edge, right edge, left 
edge. Then show them pieces of cardboard or thin 
board cut in one of the geometrical forms, circle, ob- 
long, triangle, about 2 inches in diameter. Tell them 
the names and ask them to name other things that 
are square, round (like a circle but not like a ball, 
etc.), and to choose one form, asking for it, by name. 
Have them then center that form on the sheet, using 
only their eye to do so; then, holding it down firmly 
with the fingers of the left hand, draw close round 
it with a pencil, being careful that neither the form 
nor pencil slips. 

(From this point on most of these lessons are better 
given out of doors.) 

POINTS OF COMPASS 

Go out of doors. Stand and face where the sun 
rises. That is called " east." Hold your arms out 
straight to the sides. Your right arm points south, 
your left arm points north, back is toward the west. 

Look at a compass. The needle is drawn to the 
north by magnetism. It points north no matter in 
what direction you turn the box. 

If you walk straight ahead in the direction you are 
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Information 

facing for a day, you would get to , if you kept 

on going straight ahead for a week you would get 

to , and if you kept straight ahead for a month 

you would get to . 

If you walked in the same way to the south you 
would get to . 

If you walked in the same way to the north you 
would get to . 

If you walked in the same way to the west you 
would get to . 

TRANSPORTATION 

Trains. You might go in a train cross country, 
over rivers or bridges, through tunnels, or in other 
ways. 

Carriages, bicycles and automobiles can be used on 
land. 

Sleds are used over ice and snow. 

Boats are used over water — canoes are made to go 
by paddle ; row boats by oars ; sail boats by sails ; steam 
boats by steam. 

Aeroplanes and balloons are used in the air. 

GEOGRAPHY 

A hill you all know. 
A valley is a hollow between hills. 
A brook or river always runs down hill, growing 
larger and larger till it reaches the ocean. 

If you went up in a balloon so high that the house 
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Ghild Training 

looked like a spot and the road like a line, imagine 
how the country would look with its houses and rivers 
and roads so far off, and make a picture of it in sand 
or on paper. This is called a map. 

If you went up still higher, so far that you could 
see nothing at all on the ground, you would see as 
you looked down that the earth is not flat, but a very 
large ball. This is the world. A big part of it is 
water, called oceans. 

Away off in that direction is the Atlantic Ocean. 

Away off in the other direction is the Pacific Ocean. 

(Explain where Europe and Africa are, where 
South America, where Asia; what races and nations 
live there and how the people speak and act — that 
is, their language and customs, as much as the children 
are interested in or can even partly understand. It 
is not unusual for children of six or even younger 
to display an interest in, and real understanding 
and appreciation of, the main divisions of the world 
and maps, though this subject is generally supposed 
to be beyond the comprehension of a child of this 
age.) 

RACES 

A great many people in the world, but not all, are 
white, like ourselves. 

Many of the people are yellow with slanting eyes — 
the Chinamen and Japanese. 

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Information 

Some of the people are black with crimpy, black 
hair. They are called negroes. 

Some of the people are red — the Indians. 

THE FAMILY 

The head of your family is your father and mother. 
You are their son or daughter. Their fathers and 
mothers are your grandfathers and your grandmoth- 
ers. 

Your uncle is your father's or mother's brother. 

You are his nephew or niece. 

Your aunt is your father's or mother's sister. 

You are her nephew or niece. 

Your cousin is your uncle's or aunt's child. 

GOVERNMENT 

Your family and a great many other families make 
your town or city and have a mayor over them. 

A great many towns and cities with the land be- 
tween make your State with a Governor over it. 

A great many states make your country — the 
United States — with a President over all. 

A great many countries make the world. 

Laws are rules that say what you must not do and 
some of the things you must do. 

Police see that you obey the laws. 

Mail means letters, bundles, etc., that the govern- 
ment carries. The postman brings it to you and car- 
ries it away. Stamps pay for carrying the mail. 

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Child Training 

A Postcard costs only i cent, but you can't send a 
long message on it and every one can read it. 

Letters cost 2 cents usually, if sealed — i cent, if 
not sealed and not written but printed. 

The I cent and 2 cent stamps have a picture of 
GrCorge Washington on them. Examine them. 

Money is made by your country of copper, nickel, 
silver, gold and paper. 

The cent (examine one and find out what is on it) 
is made of copper and will buy a banana, a pencil, a 
newspaper. What else ? 

Five cents — as many cents as you have fingers on 
one hand — make a nickel. Examine one. It will 
buy a loaf of bread. What else? 

Ten cents or two nickels — as many cents as you 
have fingers on two hands — make a dime. Examine 
one. It is made of silver. Why is it worth more 
than a nickel, even though smaller? What will ten 
cents buy? 

A twenty-five cent piece is called a quarter. It is 
silver. Examine one. Tell what it will buy. 

A dollar is worth four quarters. Examine one. 
If you made a pile of them as high as the ceiling it 
would buy an automobile. Two piles as high as the 
ceiling would buy a small house. 

Close your eyes and tell which coins are which, by 
feeling them when altogether and when handed you 
separately. 

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Information 

Make paper coins, as follows: Press a piece of 
paper tightly over a real coin, and holding both steady, 
rub the paper with the flat unsharpened end of a pencil 
held vertically till design shows. Make a number of 
each coins in this way. Cut them out with scissors 
and use in playing store. 

RELIGION 

(Parent give own ideas and beliefs.) 

OCCUPATIONS 

Farmers raise food which we must have to live, so 
farming is the most important of all occupations. 

Manufacturers make things, such as clothing, fur- 
niture, etc. 

Merchants sell what the farmers raise and manu- 
facturers make. 

Mechanics are men who work chiefly with their 
hands, such as carpenters, painters, masons, plumbers, 
blacksmiths, etc. 

Professional men work chiefly with their heads, 
such as doctors, lawyers, ministers, teachers, artists, 
musicians, authors. 

M^hat do you want to be, and why? 

ASTRONOMY 

The sun is a ball of fire. It will bum you if it 
shines on you long. It is very, very far off and 
very, very big; bigger than anything in the world; 



Child Training 

bigger — much bigger than the world. The sun rises 
in the east and sets in the west. Drive a stake in the 
open ground where the sun will shine on it all day 
long. Draw a line on the shadow or put a pebble at 
the end of it every hour or so during the day. When 
the shadow is shortest it is noon. At night the sun 
" goes back " on the other side of the earth. 

The moon is at times crescent, then half full, and 
when it is entirely round — full. Like the sun it also 
rises and sets. Sometimes you can see it in the day 
time. 

The stars are suns but so far ofif they seem tiny. 

The Japanese flag has a sun on it, the Turkish flag 
a crescent moon and a star, and the United States flag 
has stars. 

METEOROLOGY 

A thermometer tells whether it is hot or cold. Put 
it in the sun, breathe on the bulb or put it in hot water 
and watch it. Put it in the shade or cold water and 
watch it. What does it do when it is hot and what 
does it do when it is cold? 

Air is all round us though you can't see it. When 
it blows, we call it wind. We can't see the wind either 
but you can see what it does. It roars up the chimney, 
blows smoke, shakes flags, whirls up the dust, bangs 
shutters, whistles round the corners. 

Ice is water made solid, that is, frozen by cold. 
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Information 

Fog is water hanging in the air. 

Cloud is fog high up in the air. 

Rain falls from a cloud when it is chilled. When 
the sun shines while it is raining we usually see a rain- 
bow. The sun goes through the rain drops as it does 
through a glass prism (see lesson on Light) and comes 
out in bands of red, orange, yellow, green, blue and 
violet. 

Learn : 

Rainbow at night 
Is the sailor's delight; 
Rainbow in the morning, 
Sailors take warning. 

Hail is rain turned into ice. It starts as rain but is 
frozen before it reaches the ground. 

Snow is frozen cloud falling. Catch flakes on a 
black cloth and see how beautiful they are. 

Lightning is electricity. Once upon a time a man 
named Benjamin Franklin went out doors while it 
was lightning and flew a kite in the clouds. He put 
a key to the end of the kite string and when he 
touched the key he drew forth sparks of electricity. 

Thunder is made by the lightning. Thunder can't 
hurt you and it 's cowardly to be afraid of lightning. 

GEOLOGY 

Sandstone is rock made of sand. 
Limestone is rock made of shells and bones. 
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Child Training 

Granite is very hard rock made by fire. 

Soil is broken rock. If dead leaves, roots, etc., 
are also mixed with it, it is called loam — which is 
very rich and fertile, that is, good for growing 
things. 

Coal is made of trees that were buried under the 
earth long, long ago. 

Metals are dug out of the earth. 

Iron is the commonest and most useful — why, do 
you think? Steel is made of it. What are iron and 
steel used for? Iron will rust if not painted — 
quickly if put in water or the damp, more slowly in 
the air. Iron covered with tin is used for most kitchen 
things. 

Copper is used for cents, telephone and telegraph 
wires, etc. 

Brass is not dug out of the ground but is made of 
copper and zinc (another metal) mixed. 

Gold and silver are called precious metals because 
they are very hard to get and are beautiful for jew- 
elry. 

Precious stones are also dug out of the earth. 

The sapphire is blue. 

The ruby is red. 

The diamond is clear white or slightly colored and 
very sparkling because it is the hardest of stones. 

The pearl is not a stone but is made by the oyster in 
his shell. 

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Information 

(The following instruction is best given in the spring 
and summer, because the subjects will then be season- 
able and specimens may be easily seen.) 

PLANTS 

Flowers. Take the children out on excursions to 
find flowers or have them bring flowers to the class. 
Tell them to name anything interesting about each 
flower, and review from time to time by having them 
name the flower from the specimen or picture, describe 
it when given the name, or tell it with eyes closed when 
it has a perfume. 

Some of the flowers they should know are : * 

Jack in the Pulpit May Apple 

Blood Root Dandelion 

Arbutus Daisy 

Anemone Buttercup 

Spring Beauty Laurel 

Violet Chicory 

Liverwort Thistle 

Bluets Clover 

Robin's Plantain Queen Anne's Lace 

Mustard Yarrow 

Flag Butter and Eggs 

* The wild flowers are described and many of them illustrated 
so that they can be readily identified in a number of popular 
books, such as "How to Know the Wild Flowers," "Nature's 
Garden," etc. 



Child Training 



Milk Weed 


Cherry Blossom 


Golden Rod 


Geranium 


Aster 


Morning Glory 


Lilac 


Jonquil 


Tulip 


Narcissus 


Sweet Pea 


Honeysuckle 


Rose 


Pansy 


Forsythia 


Nasturtium 


Judas' Blush 


Chrysanthemum 


Spiraea 


Lilies 


Apple Blossom 


Sunflower 


Peach Blossom 


Carnation 



Fruits. The heart of the flower goes on growing 
after the other part dies and this heart becomes the 
fruit. Find the tiny apple, peach, etc., after the blos- 
som has withered and died. 
. Vegetables are fruits. 

Nuts are fruits. 

The apple and pear have several seeds. 

The apple juice is called cider and this turns to 
vinegar. 

The peach, cherry and plum have but one seed. 

Oranges and bananas grow in warm countries. 

Some berries are the strawberry, raspberry, black- 
berry. 

Watermelon and canteloupe are berries. 
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Information 

Grapes are used to make wine. 

Fruit has seeds which, put into the ground, grow 
into a plant. 

Try planting a bean. 

Trees. Have the children collect leaves of the most 
common trees and learn to recognize the tree from the 
shape of its leaf. Each child should make an outline 
drawing of each leaf studied. To do this, have him 
place the leaf in the center of a sheet of paper, or 
better, a page of a blank book reserved for these leaf 
sketches and, while holding it fast with the left hand 
fingers, draw around it, being careful not to let the 
leaf slip, nor the pencil get under the edge. These 
outlines might afterwards be painted in with a flat 
wash of water color, as described in the manual train- 
ing lessons. 

The leaves and trees suggested for study are : * 

Maple Dogwood 

Oak Poplar 

Chestnut Linden 

Beech Birch 

Apple Sycamore 

Peach Sassafras 

Willow Horse Chestnut 

* " Common Trees " — by V. M. Hillyer describes and illus- 
trates the leaves and tells something interesting about each tree. 



Child Training 

Locust Spruce 

Pine Cedar 

ANIMALS 

sponge is an animal that lives in the water when 
alive, but it is a very low form as it has no feet nor 
arms nor head nor eyes nor ears and cannot move from 
the spot where it is attached. It has, however, a great 
many mouths. All the holes you see are mouths and 
inside is its stomach. 

Worms are higher animals than sponges because 
they have a head, eyes, ears, etc., and can move about. 
They are useful, for they help the farmer. They 
move about in the soil, loosening it and making it rich. 
If you cut a worm in half each part will grow into 
a whole worm. Caterpillars are not worms. Cater- 
pillars turn into moths or butterflies ; worms never turn 
into anything else. 

Star Fish have five arms like a star and there is an 
eye at the end of each arm. The mouth and stomach 
are in the center. If one arm is cut off, the star fish 
grows another arm to take its place. 

Oysters and Clams have two shells hinged together 
and the oyster inside can close the shells or open them 
part way. Oysters cannot move, but clams have a 
single foot with which they can move themselves 
about. 

Snails and Slugs. A snail carries its shell on its 
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Information 

back and withdraws into it when frightened. Slugs 
are snails without shells. In some countries people eat 
snails as we do oysters and clams. 

Lobsters and Crabs are green when alive, but become 
red when boiled. Once a year they leave their old 
shells and the soft skin then hardens to form a new 
shell to take the place of the old. 

Insects. Flies, butterflies, moths, ants, bees, mos- 
quitoes, crickets, grasshoppers, beetles and spiders are 
called insects. All insects except the spiders and 
thousand legs have six feet. 

Flies carry disease and therefore should be killed. 
The " blue bottle " is a big fly with a noisy buzz. The 
horse fly is a very big fly that sucks the blood of 
horses. The dragon fly is born on the water, but lives 
in the air. It eats insects, but is harmless to us. The 
May fly is born in the water and dies the day it flies in 
the air. 

Butterflies lay eggs, the eggs hatch into cater- 
pillars, which feed on leaves. The caterpillar then 
makes a cocoon about himself and goes to sleep inside 
and finally comes out a butterfly. 

Moths grow in much the same way as butterflies. 
Some small moths eat woolen clothes and destroy 
plants and trees. 

Ants are the most intelligent of all insects; they 
work in gangs, build ant hills and store up food. They 
have armies and go to war against other ants. They 

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Child Training 

even have a kind of insect cow which they " milk." 
They are able to talk to each other and tell where food 
is, where danger lies, and so forth. The red ants often 
capture the black ants and make them work for them. 
You must not leave any food around for the ants will 
soon find it out and come after it. 

Bees and ants are very hard workers, that is why we 
say " as busy as a bee." The bees gather the sweet 
juice of the flowers and make it into honey for their 
food. They store this in the honey comb which they 
make of wax. The bees' house is called a hive and in 
a hive there are three kinds of bees, the Queen bee, the 
Workers and the Drones. The Queen bee lays all 
the eggs. Of the Workers, some gather honey, 
some make the honey comb, some act as police, 
some as house maids, cleaning and keeping the hive 
in order, some as waiters. Only the Drones do 
nothing. In the autumn all die except the Queen bee, 
who lives through the winter and lays her eggs in the 
spring. 

Mosquitoes are born on still water and if there are 
no ponds nor puddles, we will have no mosquitoes. 
Only the female mosquito bites. 

The Cricket is supposed to bring good luck to the 
house. Its song starts in the autumn toward evening 
and continues into the night. They are great leapers. 
If you could jump as high for your size, you could 
jump over the house. 

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Information 

The Grasshopper and the Locust in some countries 
fly over the land in such large numbers they seem like 
a cloud and they eat every live thing in their path, de- 
stroying crops entirely. Read Plague in Egypt de- 
scribed in Bible (Exodus, x, 12-19). 

The Spider spins a cobweb for a net to catch other 
insects which it feeds on. Once upon a time a beauti- 
ful maiden named Arachne boasted that she could spin 
better than the gods. For this she was turned into a 
spider and made to keep on spinning forever. Some 
spiders bite or sting. 

The Daddy-long-legs looks like a very long legged 
spider with a small body, but it makes no cobweb and 
is harmless. 

Thousand-legs or centipedes have really only about 
twenty pairs of feet. 

Beetles are both good and bad. The lady-bug, also 
called lady-bird, is a good beetle. It is a little red, 
brown or black beetle with spots of bright colors. It 
eats insects that harm the plants. Learn: 

Lady bird ! lady bird ! 

Fly away home; 
Your house is on fire, 

Your children will burn. 

The potato bug is a beetle that harms the potato 
plant. 

The firefly and glow worm are little beetles, Cages 
261 



Child Training 

filled with them are used for lanterns in some countries. 
The light of the firefly, unlike other light, is cold. 

Fish are the first of the animals we have studied that 
have a back bone. The higher animals all have back- 
bones. The fish, however, has cold blood, not warm 
like birds and dogs. They are covered with scales 
and breathe water through gills. They swim through 
the water and steer themselves with the tail and 
fins. 

The whale is not a fish, though it lives in the water, 
for it must come up to get air to breathe. 

Some fish can only live in salt water, some only in 
fresh. 

A fish's eggs are called roe. A number of fish to- 
gether in the water is called a school of fish. 

The shark is one of the most dangerous fish in the 
sea. 

The eel looks like a snake, but it is not ; it is a fish 
and is good for food. 

Frogs have back bones. They can live on both the 
water and land and they lay eggs in the water. The 
eggs hatch into little fish called tadpoles, and finally, 
the tadpole loses its tail and turns into a frog. 

Toads match the stones or ground, or bark if they 
live on trees, so that the snakes and birds who would 
eat them, cannot find them. Toads eat insects that are 
harmful, so they are good for the farmer and should 
not be killed or hurt. They do not make warts, as was 

362 



Information 

once thought, though they should not be touched or 
handled. 

Reptiles. Snakes, turtles, alligators, etc., are called 
reptiles. Reptiles have a back bone and cold blood. 

Some snakes are very poisonous. 

There are both land and water turtles. The land 
turtle is called a tortoise. It Is used for food; its 
shell is used for making tortoise shell combs and other 
articles. 

The lizard has a very brittle tail, which it easily 
loses, but when broken off, another grows in its place. 

The chameleon is a little lizard that rapidly changes 
its color to match the surroundings. The alligator 
and crocodile are huge lizards. 

Birds have a back bone, but, unlike all the ani- 
mals studied before, are warm blooded. The higher 
animals have back bones; the highest animals have 
back bones and are warm blooded. The female bird 
lays the eggs and sits on them till they hatch into young 
birds. The male bird finds the food and feeds them. 
The stem of feathers is called the quill. Quills were 
once used for pens before steel pens were made. Birds 
that live in the water are web- footed, that is, have skin 
between the toes so that they can paddle and swim. 

Ducks do not have to learn how to swim, they take 
to the water naturally. Chickens cannot swim because 
they are not web- footed, and they will not go into the 
water. 

263 



Child Training 

Parrots can be taught to speak. 

Hawks prey upon other birds. 

Owls destroy rats and mice. They are supposed to 
be very wise, so we say, " As wise as an owl." 

The condor is the largest bird that flies. Its wings 
spread out to twice the height of a man. 

The ostrich is the largest bird. Ostriches can run 
very fast and men have ridden on them as on horse- 
back. They are very foolish birds. When afraid 
they put their heads in the ground and, as they can- 
not then see, they think they cannot be seen. Their 
feathers are used for hat plumes. They lay eggs as 
big as a baby's head. 

The peacock has a wonderfully colored tail and 
walks with such a strut that we say, " Proud as a pea- 
cock." 

Doves are supposed to be very loving, so we say, 
" As loving as doves." 

Sea gulls live by the seashore; they can fly far and 
fast. 

The eagle Is a strong, bold and daring bird. It 
builds its nest in inaccessible spots. The eagle is our 
national bird. It is on several of our coins. 

The carrier pigeon is so attached to home that people 
use him to send messages. They take him away from 
his home, tie a message to his leg and then release him. 
He will fly back to his home, even if he has been carried 
hundreds of miles from it. 

264 



Information 

Mammals are animals that nurse their babies with 
millc. They are the highest kind of animal. We are 
mammals, as are also all the following animals. 

Whales, though they live in the water, are not fish, 
for they have warm blood, no scales, must have air to 
breathe and nurse their young. Seals, though they 
also live in the water, are mammals. 

The kangaroo carries its baby in a pouch in front. 

The pig is the dirtiest and greediest of animals. 
The hippopotamus is a huge animal of the same fam- 
ily. 

Conundrum : " When is a boy not a boy ? " 

Ans. " When he is a pig." 

The elephant is the largest animal on the earth. He 
can be made to carry great loads on his back and with 
his trunk. The male elephant has two enormous teeth 
called tusks. 

Animals that chew the cud are those that swallow 
their food first and then chew afterwards. They 
have two toes. The following chew the cud. A camel 
has two humps. A dromedary has one hump. The 
deer has branched horns. The sheep is shorn for his 
wool. The goat is kept in some countries for his 
milk. The cow is the most useful of all domestic ani- 
mals. She gives milk and cream from which butter 
and cheese are made. Her hide is used for leather and 
her flesh for meat. 

Herbivorous animals are those that eat only grass or 
265 



Child Training 

plant life. The following animals are herbivorous. 
The horse has but one toe — a hoof. The rabbit likes 
young and tender leaves. The squirrel eats nuts which 
he gathers and stores for the winter. Rats and mice 
eat grain. The porcupine has quills all over his 
back. 

Carnivorous animals are those thiat eat only, or 
chiefly, meat. The following animals are carnivorous. 
Cats like places rather than people and will return 
to their home after they have been carried away. They 
have cushions on their toes so that they can creep noise- 
lessly upon their prey. When they are angry their 
claws appear and they wag their tails and arch their 
backs. When they are pleased they purr. 

Tigers and lions are only very large wild cats. 

Dogs are the most intelligent of all animals. They 
have a very powerful sense of smell by which they can 
track their master or animals for long distances. They 
like people rather than places and become firm friends 
— saving children from drowning, guarding the house 
against thieves, etc. Cats and dogs are natural ene- 
mies — the dog fights the cat and the cat either flees or 
stands its ground. 

The wolf and fox belong to the same family. Bears 
sleep through the whole winter. The polar bear is 
white to match the snow where he lives, so that he can 
not easily be seen by his prey when he is hunting for 
food. 

266 



Information 

Bats are not birds at all. They are covered with 
fur — not feathers. Their wings are merely skin 
stretched between their fingers. They sleep in the 
daytime and fly at night. Learn the rime. 

Bat, bat, 

Come under my hat, 
And I '11 give you a slice of bacon ; 

And when I bake, 

I '11 give you a cake. 
If I am not mistaken. 

Monkeys have a skeleton almost exactly like man's. 
They use their feet just as if they were hands. 

Man is the only animal that naturally walks up- 
right. Do you always walk upright? 



267 



READING AND WRITING 

When the child is about six years of age, or has 
finished the previous course of training, he may begin 
to write and read. If, however, the following work 
proves too much of an ordeal, or if he is uninterested, 
it is a sign that he is still too young and after a fair 
trial the work should be postponed. 

If a child is inquisitive or shows curiosity about 
words or letters that appear conspicuously on bill 
boards, street signs, newspaper headings, etc., asking 
what letter that is or what such and such printed 
words mean, or tries to write letters or figures, not 
merely to scribble, thereby displaying an interest in the 
language arts, it is usually a pretty good symptom that 
he is ready for instruction in these branches. 

Aristotle says : " The way to learn to play the harp 
is to play the harp." 

Likewise the way to learn to write is to write — not 
to begin with arm movements, up and down strokes, 
or even practice letters, but to write as one thinks and 
speaks — in words and sentences. No indirect method 
of approach is as satisfactory as this. It is the 
" Royal Road," * the pleasantest and shortest. But 

* Royal Road Method, copyright 1910 by V. M. Hillyer. 

268 



Reading and Writing 

one who has never seen such a method tried, might ob- 
ject, " A child just beginning does not know his al- 
phabet, nor how to write a single letter, to say nothing 
of words and sentences." Very true, and yet no nor- 
mal child of six or seven, properly taught by this 
method, has ever failed to write sentences from the 
start, much to the amazement of parents and confound- 
ing of preconceived ideas on the subject. 

Following are given the sentences that the child is 
first to be taught. The arrangement is not alphabeti- 
cal, — to afford a study first of the capital A, then of 
the B and so on, — nor is it arranged according to let- 
ter forms, — first the round letters, then the loops, and 
so on, — but according to the common words the child 
uses every day and will need to use in any writing or 
composition he does. The vocabulary is small, about 
1 60 words, not guessed at but chosen after actual com- 
putation of the number of times a word is used by a 
child of six. They are, therefore, from the simplest 
categories and those most frequently used, — Work and 
Play, Time and Space, Quality and Quantity, Family 
Relations, etc. These words should, of course, be only 
the beginning, as a child of six already has a knowl- 
edge of more than a thousand words, but it is the ob- 
ject of this method to teach the children these basal 
words, so that they can write, read and spell them per- 
fectly, thus forming a sure foundation; other words 
they will acquire as the necessity arises, if the ele- 

269 



Child Training 

mental ones are at their finger tips and the sounds of 
the various combinations of letters are inseparably as- 
sociated with the written form. 

As will be seen, the written letter-forms of the 
models approximate print. They are not print, how- 
ever, but the simplest form of script, conforming as 
closely as is practicable to the historic letters. This 
alphabet has five advantages : 

(i) On account of its simplicity, it is naturally the 
most legible; 

(2) It is also the most rapid, as it is freed from all 
superfluous strokes; 

(3) It is the easiest to learn on account of its simple 
lines ; 

(4) The child having learned the script can read 
print with little if any further study, as the two are so 
nearly alike; 

(5) His own individuality and character can and 
will be imposed upon the writing as he progresses. If 
he learns the complex forms, with scrolls and tails 
which some one else has added to the original historic 
forms, he must throw these away, go back to first prin- 
ciples and start anew before he can form a hand dis- 
tinctly his own. 

Whether the writing is vertical, medial or slanting is 
not a question for the beginner. It is as natural for 
rapid writing to slant as for a runner to lean forward, 
but when a child is first learning to walk, he is not 

270 



Reading and Writing 

taught to lean forward. A slight slant called " Me- 
dial " is not objectionable, and each pupil will gradu- 
ally tilt his letters in the direction of the writing as he 
gains in facility, if he is allowed to do so, but he should 
not be embarrassed with an artificial slant when taking 
his first steps. 

Large writing is to be expected at first (the capitals 
not less than one inch high, the small letters one-half 
inch), as the finer muscles of the fingers are still un- 
developed and badly controlled. As the child gains 
command of these muscles, however, the writing may 
and should become smaller, and accordingly it will be 
noticed that the copies are gradually reduced in size. 
For a similar reason there are no confusing guiding 
lines to embarrass the beginner and restrict his free- 
dom. 

DIRECTIONS 

Ask each pupil to watch and listen while you write 
something for him. 

Then write slowly on the blackboard, or in case of 
an individual pupil, on a sheet of paper, in a very large 
hand, imitating the writing given on p. 278. 

I see a 

In place of a word at the end, make with two or 
three strokes a quick, simple sketch of some common 
object, for example, a ball, a cup, a ladder, a flag, etc. 

271 



Child Training 

Pronounce each word very slowly, drawling it, as you 
do so. 

Ask each pupil to read what you have written. This 
he can do as the words will still be ringing in his 
ears. 

Write again and have each pupil follow the writing 
with his index finger as if it were a pencil. Say noth- 
ing about the individual letters or their names; merely 
describe the direction the lines take and have each 
pupil devote his sole attention to the formation of the 
writing. Re-write the sentence in this way several 
times, making a different sketch of the object " I see " 
each time, then. 

Give each pupil a crayon and ask him to write the 
sentence on a blackboard, or sheet of blank paper, pro- 
nouncing each w.ord as he does so. 

Each pupil's first attempt may be almost an inde- 
cipherable scrawl and anything but a good copy, but do 
not be impatient or discouraged with the first results. 
Call attention to the proper form of any letter illegibly 
written thus: 

" This letter (point to the capital I) which says * I ' 
stands up straight as I do. 

" To make this word which says * see ' you start off 
and up, then turn down and back (the s), then make 
two little eyes to see with (the two e's), and so on.'* 

Children usually have difficulty at first in making 
loops like e, 1, h, etc., simply because the hand tends 

272 



Reading and Writing 

always to go forward and it is unnatural to turn back, 
as is necessary in such loops. Have the child write 
the sentences over and over and over again, using dif- 
ferent colored crayon each time to give added zest and 
keep the interest fresh. 

Keep him practising this initial sentence, both with 
and without the copy, until it is readable, even if it 
takes several days. Do not, of course, limit him to a 
single sheet, let him write on all the scrap paper he 
can find. If a child can find none, as soon as he feels 
he is really writing, writing something that every one 
can read, he will write on your specially reserved sta- 
tionery, the walls and floors of the house, the doors 
and fences, even on the ground. When he has finally 
succeeded, and not until then, go to the next sentence 
and teach him to write this in the same way. 

To recapitulate, the method to be used for each suc- 
cessive sentence is: 

(i) Write the sentence very slowly, and as you do 
so, drawl each word so as to sound the individual let- 
ters. 

(2) Have the pupil read your copy, also drawling 
the words. 

(3) Have him practise writing the copy, drawling 
each word aloud as he writes it. 

(4) Have him write the sentence from memory 
without a copy. 

Great care should be used to have the pupil take the 
^7Z 



Child Training 

proper position while writing. He should sit facing 
front, squarely on his seat, not on the edge, the light 
coming from the left side or over his left shoulder, the 
inside of his elbows on a level with the top of the desk, 
head up, crayon held lightly between thumb and first 
two fingers, one inch from point. Each pupil should 
be taught to hold his pencil in the correct way at the 
start, for it is almost impossible to change the manner 
of holding the pencil after a certain habit is acquired. 
The pencil should be held lightly about an inch from 
the point between the thumb and first two fingers. On 
account of the difficulty in control referred to above, 
the natural tendency of the pupil will be to grip the 
pencil. Every effort should be made to lessen this 
strangle hold as soon as possible. The important thing 
to insist on, however, is that the first finger is rounded 
up and that nothing touches the writing surface except 
the 4th and 5th finger tips, and the muscles of the 
lower arm — not the side of hand nor the side of the 
fingers nor the wrist. The paper should be directly in 
front, but turned slightly, so that the lower edge makes 
an angle of about 45° with the edge of the desk, and 
should be held in place by the left hand. The right 
hand should rest lightly on the fourth and fifth fingers, 
and the arm be supported by the muscles of the lower 
arm ; the wrist should not touch. 

When the sentence which reads, " My name is 

" and " Your loving son, ," is reached, 

274 



Reading and Writing 

fill in the space with a good copy of the pupil's name 
and have him practise writing his signature. Call at- 
tention to the difference in size and shape of the letters 
that begin a sentence — the capitals — and those else- 
where, for to the pupil they are apparently different 
letters. Explain when a question mark is used and 
when a period. Have each pupil always do his best, 
but do not expect exact or perfect copies at first; if 
they are readable, it is satisfactory. 

On the reverse of each sheet, after the first, each 
pupil should write a composition using only the words 
he has learned to write, but just as many of those as 
he can, varying their order to make different sentences. 
Thus, after the third sentence, he will have a vocabu- 
lary of seven words, which he can write and read. 
These can be combined in different ways, which he 
should suggest, to make, beside the original sentences, 
several others, thus forming a " composition." Each 
so-called " composition " will at first, therefore, consist 
merely of sentences in which all the changes are rung 
on the words learned, but each sentence should have 
a little more variety and extent as the new words are 
learned and become available. The " compositions " 
based on the first twenty sentences should be in the 
nature of a dialogue — question and answer — in the 
" primer " style suggested by the models. Those based 
on the next twenty should be notes or letters — the 
most valuable, important and universally demanded 

275 



Child Training 

kind of composition. Those based on the last ten may 
be the usual descriptive and narrative composition. 

As each pupil progresses, he should be encouraged 
to write as fully as he can, using all the words he has 
learned that he can weave into sentences. 

If a pupil needs additional words and asks for them, 
give them to him as new copy, but sparingly and not 
until he has need for them and has exhausted those he 
has already learned. Crayon may be used for the 
penmanship practice, but only pencil for the composi- 
tion. All the copies and the compositions the pupils 
write should be saved, and re-read by them. Compo- 
sitions should be exchanged and each pupil should read 
the other's. 

In teaching the new sentence, if each word is 
sounded very slowly, letter by letter as far as possi- 
ble, as previously directed, and each pupil does the 
same, when he writes, he will in this way gradually 
and unconsciously but surely, learn the sounds of each 
group of letters and thus acquire the key to reading 
new words as well as the old. This sounding of the 
letters and syllables is most important and the great- 
est emphasis should be laid upon it from the start. 

As each pupil learns to write each sentence, it fol- 
lows that he learns the spelling of the words at the same 
time, for he learns to know and recognize the letter 
forms and the order In which they come, but without 
necessarily knowing their names. Learning their 

276 



Reading and Writing 

names is a simple matter if the letters are incidentally 
referred to by their names when attention is called to 
their forms in the penmanship practice. In this way, 
therefore, penmanship, composition, reading and spell- 
ing will be learned altogether. 

The copies have been written free hand, not drawn 
or engraved, and it is, therefore, possible for pupils 
to write equally well. 



277 



Child Training 



BASAL SENTENCES 



(The following sentences are to be written with! 
capitals one inch, small letters one-half inch:) 

The following copies are from " Royal Road to 
Writing," copyright, by V. M. Hillyer: 



MJylPOW. 



% 



DaUOi/AEl/lTU/? 



AU/O/ 




DoTlt 




M 



tt? 



278 



Reading and Writing 



It UvO/lui hill. 

Ia tAot imi/i/ laii/ ? 
I W LA 0/ Wttt/ lail. 

Viat/ lA muA/ waimP, 



wmju\h 



279 



Child Training 





w\ 





^TTU/? 





W DA 




I 



" -'-W? 



WjOAAym 



plO/Lj 



%. Ma pioAj [aww. 



WlhCUW 





? 



280 



Reading and Writing 



T 




OAi/Oyy 




H 



am 



mujQ/m 



dJa/? 




Qj OaL aiWu Ch (MJQ 



WW/ rwMU/ W^ tlu/ dxjo? 



Ht^mA' 



(h\WZhUUmy. 



281 



Child Training 

(The following sentences are to be written with cap- 
itals }i of an inch, small letters }i of an inch :) 



VmL aiw iMw cmna la dd tum""? 



\mh(mmn 



rri/ cmm ta urvibj o/ WdA, 



LmAy mAh/iy, HmoAJy m^fl 



MTU, 



J)[Ay iMmyCjArf^ wiJuA/? 




282 



Reading and Writing 



(iTv r\xM~ma ou Imv \lmw \uMy. 



noruiaA^ I urnitj G^ltaAckaol. 



Tuj>J)AMm \L JuilmA/cdJicia/ij, 



VimmidwOAj tfU/ M/riy cxxmi/ oat. 



283 



Child Training 



T^hiAdJjm it uroA Wvu hri. 



^aJlL^bdx2/u IplauuiallTfufi^^ 



n^ tfi^' aliiM/(7^ Itxjvkco/uxiv. 



IjjJj^^ I wmt dowrv \xmr\y. 



284 



Reading and Writing 



I wK/ UATW hmi WiM mmJv, 



285 



Child Training 

(The following sentences are to be written with cap- 
itals one-half inch, small letters one- fourth inch:) 



0\jJb ^wuMh J^u/i/ (rrovl^ ot cu4uiL. 



UpAtoi/iA umjdji/o thju A/rvt i/y nvw h/i/iaxrm^. 



Orb tfu/ mill aJw oijcLuuA' ai wiLf^ a/ncL cWiU/. 



3ij uw oxTtrV ahjy (h cJvcuA a/ncL O/ talnv. 



1 -uiuy to- lotrfe/ out oi tlw wvndxmr. 



286 



Reading and Writing 



loa/Tb mvXaw Awrv AnX ovVbUii^ thJUA, 



Hij wixhJ:^^ tbOONe/ tliei/u Jumn/ wuxt ta irwruy 



ATb ouL cXoofe/ Ma/nxi& i/H/ tfu/ mui/. 



I UwnL I miaur \ww hr tnJH tlmuy. 



287 



INDEX 



^ 



INDEX 



Accordion (paper work), 206 

Accuracy, 81, 186 

Acting a Picture, 54 

Acting, Two Part, 64 

Action in Stories, no 

Adenoid Growths, 132 

Air, 252 

Altering Card, 50 

Ambidexterity, i8g 

Ambition, xxv 

Angles, 24s 

Animals, 258 ff 

Answering Three Questions, 75, 

76 
Ants, 259 

Appeal to Right, xxiii 
Apple (modeling), 190 
" April Showers," 154 
Arranging Colors, 45, 46 
Arteries, 232 
" As I was going to St. Ives," 

153 
"As round as an apple," 68 
Associating Ideas, 65, 66 
Association Drills, 65 ff 
Astigmatism, 121 
Astronomy, 251 
" At Ease " Position, 128, 129 
Athletic Plays, 174 ff 
Attention Drills, 73 ff 

" Ba-a, ba-a, black sheep," 142 
Baby Talk, 102 
Ball (modeling), igo 
Balloons (drawing), 197 



Balloons (painting), 198 

Baric Sense, 41 

Barn (paper work), 202 

Basal Sentences, 278 ff 

Bats, 267 

" Bat, bat," 267 

Baths, 120 

Bean Bag, 181 

Bear, 266 

Bed (paper work), 206 

Beds, 236 

Bees, 260 

Beetles, 261 

Bells, Suspended, 175 

Birds, 263 

" Blind Man's Buff," 40 

Bluebird (painting), 195 

Boat (modeling), 193 

Body, The, 230 ff 

Bogies, 108, no 

Bone, 233 

Books (paper work), 202 

Bow and Arrow (drawing), 

212 
" Bow, wow, wow,*' 153 
Brain Paths, xv 
Brain Power, xv 
Brass, 254 

"Brave" (song), 167 
Bread, 235 
Breaking Habits, 82 
Breathing, 129, 132 
" Brow bender," 230 
Butterflies, 259 
" Bye baby Bunting," 143 



291 



Index 



Calisthenic Drills, 129 ff 

Camel, 265 

Candle, 239 

Candle (drawing), 200 

Candlestick (modeling), 193 

Capacity, Measures of, 243 

Capital Letters, 275 

Carnivorous Animals, 266 

"Cat and Rat" (game), 179 

Cats, 266 

Cat's Cradle, 209 

Case (paper work), 205 

Cereal, 235 

Chain (modeling), 193 

Chains (paper work), 201 

Chairs, etc., 236 

Charades, 64 

Chest, 232 

China, 236 

Christmas, 213 

Church (drawing), 199 

Clams, 258 

Clay Work, 190 ff 

Cleaning up Room, 32 

Clothing, 233, 234 

Cloud, 253 

Coal, 254 

Color Finding, 48 

Colors, Three Primary, 193 

Color Work, 193 ff 

Common Courtesies, 88 ff 

Compass, Points of, 246 

Composition, 275, 276 

Concentration, xxxii ff, 186 

Concentration Drills, 73 ff 

Conditions for Training, xvii 

Conumdrums, dj, 68 

Conversation, 90 ff 

Conversation Rules, 93 

Conversation, Two Minute, 69 

Cooking, 220 

Copper, 254 

Cornucopias, 212 



Corporal Punishment, xxix 

Cotton Cloth, 233 

Counting and Clapping, ^^ 

Courage, 82 

Course of Training Outlined, 

xviii, xix 
Courtesy, 81 
Cow, 265 
Crabs, 259 

Cradle (paper work), 206 
Cream, 235 
Cricket, 260 

Criticizing Incongruities, 54, 55 
Crown (paper work), 205 
Cube (modeling), 191 
Cup and Saucer (modeling), 

193 
Curls (paper work), 208 
"Curly locks! Curly locks!" 

145 
Cylinder (modeling), 191 

Daddy-long-legs, 261 

Daffy-down-dilly, 142 

Dangerous Plays, 171 

iDart (paper work), 203 

Days of the Week, 242 

Deer, 265 

Describing a Child, 51 

Describing a Person, 51 

Describing a Picture, 52 

Design (paper work), 203, 204 

Diamond, 254 

IDiet, 121 

" Ding dong, bell! "148 

Dogs, 266 

Dolls, 178 

Double Boat (paper work), 208 

Doves, 264 

Drawing Out, 225, 226 

Dromedary, 265 

Dropping Medicine, 74 

Drum (modeling), 191 



292 



Index 



Ducks, 265 
Duties, 30, 31 

Eagle, 264 

Ear, 232 

" Early to bed," 154 

Eel, 262 

" Eeney, meeny, miney, mo," 

179 
Egg (modeling), 192 
Eggs, 23s 
Electricity, 240 
Elephant, 265 
Emulation, xxv 
Enunciation, loi 
Envelope (paper work), 215 
Exercises (physical), 123 fif 
Eye, 231 
Eyes, Care of, 121 

Faces (drawing), 201 
Fairy Tales, 108 
Family, The, 249 
Fan (paper work), 203 
Fanciful Tales, 107, 108 
"Farmer in the Dell" (song), 

166 
Fatigue, 124, 129 
Feeling Fabrics, 39 
Feeling Materials, 40 
Feeling Paper, 42 
Feet, 233 

Finding and Replacing, 43, 44 
Finding and Replacing, Rapid, 

45 
Finding Book, 45 
Finding Hidden Pictures, 55 
Finding in the Dark, 41, 42 
Finding, Rapid, 44 
Fire, 239 
Firefly, 261 
Fish, 262 
Flat Foot, 127 



Flies, 259 

Flowers (drawing), 199 

Flowers, 255, 256 

Fog, 253 

Folk Dances, 163 

Food, 234 ff 

Foot Stool (paper work), 202 

Forehead, 231 

" For every evil under the sun," 
159 

Fork (paper work), 208 

Forms, Geometrical, 246 

" For want of a nail," 159 

Fox, 266 

Frame (paper work), 204 

Fresh Air, 120 

Frogs, 262 

Fruits, 23s, 256 

Fruits (drawing), 198 

Furniture (drawing), 199 

Furniture, 236 fif 

Furniture, Bedroom (draw- 
ing), 200 

Furnishings, Table (drawing), 
199 

Free Play, 171 

Games, 174 
with Apparatus, 181 
without Apparatus, 179 

Generalities, 91 

Geography, 247 

Geology, 253 

Glass, 237 
Magnifying, zz'? 

Goat, 265 

" Going to Jerusalem," 180 

Gold, 254 

Good Humor, 225 

" Goosey, goosey, gander," 157 

Goody-Goody Tales, xxv 

Government, 249 

Granite, 254 



293 



Index 



Grasshopper, 261 ■ 
Greetings, 86 
Group Training, xvii 
Growth, Table of, 123 
Gull, 264 
Guessing Picture, 53 

Habits, Breaking of, 11 ff 
Habit Drills, 3 ff, 81 
Habits, Forming, 7 ff 

Good and Bad, 5, 6 

Nature of, 3 ff 

Repetition, 7 

Voluntary and Involuntary, 8 
Hail, 253 
Hand, 233 
Hardening, 119, 120 
Haste, xxxi 
Head, 231 

Health Requisites, 119 
Hat (modeling), 193 
Hat (paper work), 215 
Hearing Simultaneous Orders, 

79 

Heart, 232 

Hearts (paper work), 215 

" He can do little," 57, 58 

Height, Table of, 123 

Herbivorous Animals, 265, 266 

" Here we go Round the Mul- 
berry Bush" (song), 166 

Hero Stories, 107 

"Hey, diddle, diddle," 142; 
(song), 165 

" Hickory, dickory, dock," 147, 
241 

Hide and Seek, 180 

High Rail, 174 

History, 242, 243 

Holly, 214 

Honors, xxx 

Hoops, 176 

Horse, 266 



Horseshoe (modeling), 193 

House (paper work), 202 

House (modeling), 191 

Houses (drawing), 199 

Housekeeping, 219 

How to Study, 36, 223, 224 

Humorous Stories, 107 

" Humpty Dumpty," 69 

Hunting Coin, 50 

" Hush a bye baby," 149 

Ice, 252 

" If all the seas were one sea ! " 

158 
"If all the world were apple 

pie," 147 
" If wishes were horses," 158 
" I had a little pony," 143 
" I '11 tell you a story," 145 
Imaginary Scene, 71 
Imagination Drills, 70 ff 
Imitating, 63, 64 
Imitation Drills, 6s ff 
Imitative Plays, I77» 
Independence, 187 
Independent Recitation, 228 
Indian-Footed, 127 
Industry, 81 
Information, 92, 223 ff 
Informational Stories, 109 
Inhibition, 22 
Initiative, 81 
Insects, 259 ff 

Instruction, Method of, 224 ff 
Intonation, 100 
Introducing, 89 
Iron, 254 
"I won't," xxviii 

"Jack and Jill," 144 
"Jack Sprat," 147 
" Jack Straws," 73, 74 
Joints, 233 



294 



Index 



Jumping off place, 174 
Jumping Rope, 136 

Kangaroo, 265 
Knives, 237 
Knot, Blood, 209 

Bow, 210 

Chain, 211 

Figure 8, 210 

" Granny," 210 

Overhand, 209 

Reef, 210 

Slip, 211 

Twist, 211 
Knotting, 209 ff 

Bead, 212 

Ladder, Horizontal, 176 

" Lady bird ! lady bird ! " 261 

Lamp (drawing), 200 

Lamplighter (paper work), 208 

Lantern (paper work), 201 

Leaf (painting), 195 

Leather, 234 

Left Handedness, 187, 188 

Lemon (painting), 195 

Lemon (modeHng), 192 

Length, Measures of, 243 

Lesson, Sample, 226 

Light, 237 ff 

Lightning, 253 

Limestone, 253 

Linen, 234 

Lines, Horizontal, 245 

Parallel, 245 

Vertical, 2/^4 
Lion, 266 
Lisping, 104 
"Little Bo-peep," 141, 142; 

(song), 165 
"Little Boy Blue," 143 
" Little fishey in a brook," 149 
"Little Jack Horner," 143 



" Little Miss Muffett," 142 
"Little Nan Etticoat," 239 
"Little Tom Tucker," 144 
Lizard, 263 
Lobsters, 259 

Magnetism, 240 

Mail, 249 

Make Believe, 70, 71, 72 

Mammals, 265 

Man, 267 

Manual Plays, 174, 176, 177 

Manual Training, 185 ff 

Marching, 132, 133, 134 

"Mary, Mary, quite contrary," 

145 
Matching Fabrics, 46 
Matching Notes, 62 
Meals, 121 
Meat, 23s 

Memorizing, 78, 79 
Memory Training, xv 
Mental Suggestion, xxiv 
Mental Training, xv 
Merry-go-Round, 176 
Messages, Carrying, 27, 28 
Meteorology, 252 
Milk, 235 
Mirror, 238 
Mitten (painting), 194 
"Monday's Child," 242 
Money, 250 
Monkeys, 267 
Moon, 237, 252 
Moral Training, xxii ff 
Mosquitoes, 260 
Moths, 259 
Mouth, 232 
Mud Pies, 212 
Muscle, 23s 
Muscular Sense, 41, 42 
"My Shadow" (song), 168 
Mystery in Stories, no 



295 



Index 



Nagging, 9 

Napkins (paper work), 208 
Natural Consequences, xxix 
Natural Plays, 171 
Nearsightedness, 121 
Neatness, 186 
Nerve Cells, xv 
Nest (modeling), 192 
Nose, 232 

Nose Pincher (paper work), 
207 



Obedience Drills, I4fif 
Obedience, Necessity of, 14 
Observation Drills, 35 ff 
Object Seeing, 42 
Observing Changes, 51, 52 
Observing Neighborhood, 55, 56 
Obstacle Race, 135 
Occupations, 218 ff, 251 
"Old King Cole," 145 
" Old Mother Twitchett," 68 
" One misty, moisty morning," 

147 
"One, two, buckle my shoe," 

153 
Open Air, 120 
Opinions, 92 
Orange (painting), 194 
Order, 186 
Order and Neatness Drills, 

32 ff 
Orders, Double, 23 

Double Deferred, 23 

Future, 29 

Judgment, 27 

Time, 28, 30 
Ostrich, 264 

Outdoor Occupations, 220 
Over Habituation, 11 
Owls, 264 
Oysters, 258 



296 



Pantomime, 63 

Paper Folding and Cutting, 201 

" Patty-a-cake, Patty-a-cake," 

141 
Peacock, 264 
Pear (modeling), 193 
Pearl, 254 

" Pease porridge hot," 152 
Periods, XXXV, xxxvi 
" Peter Piper," 147 
" Peter White," 158 
Philopena, 78 
Physical Training, ii9ff 
Pig, 26s 
Pigeon, 264 
Pillow Fighting, 172 
Pillow, Use of, 128 
Pin Wheel (paper work), 204 
Plaiting, 211 
Plants, 255 ff 
Play House, A, 178 
Poinsettia Leaves (paper 

work), 214 
"Polite" (song), 167 
Porcupine, 266 
Posing as a Picture, 53, 54 
Posture, 125 
Potato (modeling), 191 
Pouring in and Drawing out, 

225, 226 
Presentation, 224, 225 
Prisms, Glass, 238 
Prizes, xxx 

Programs, xxxv, xxxvi 
Prohibitions, 22, 24, 25, 28, 

29 
Punctuality, 86 
Punctuation, 275 
Punishments, xxv 
Punning, 67 

" Pussy cat, pussy cat," 143 
" Pussy wants a corner," 180 
Putting things in place, 32 



Index 



Quiet Orders, 19 

Quiz Questions, 229, 230 

Quoits, 181 

Races, 248 
Rain, 253 

Rainbow (painting), 196 
" Rainbow at Night," 253 
Rapid Copying, 74, 75 
Rats, 266 
Reaction, 225, 226 
Reaction Time, xxxi 
Reading and Writing, 268 ff 
Reciting and Counting, 78 
Religious Exercises, 87 
Repeating List, 79 
Repetition in Stories, no 
Reptiles, 263; 
Rewards, xxx 
Rhythmic Arts, 141 ff 
" Ride a cock-horse," 152 
Riddles, 68, 69 
Right, Appeal to, xxiii 
Rimes, 141 ff 
Riming, 66 
Romancing, 71 
Rope, Climbing, 175 

Jumping, 176 
Round Shoulders, 128 
Routine of Training, xx 
Running, 135 
Running Wild, 119 

Salt, 236 

Salt Cellar (paper work) , 207 

Sand Pile, 178 

Sandstone, 253 

School Subjects, 223 

Scolding, xxix 

Screen (paper work), 202 

Seals, 265 

Secret Keeping, 25, 26 

Selecting Material, 46, 47 



Self Punishment, xxvi, xxvii 
Self Respect, xxiii, xxiv, xxix 
Sense Training, xv 
Setting Belongings in Order, 34 
Setting Cupboard in Order, 34 
Setting Desk in Order, 33 
Setting Room in Order, 32 
Setting Table, 34 
Sewing, 219 
Sex, xiv 
Shaming, xxix 
Shark, 262 
Sheep, 265 

Shields (paper work), 215 
" Shop Window," 48, 49 
Shovel (paper work), 208 
Sight Seeing, 49, 50 
Silk, 234 
Silver, 254 

" Simon Says Thumbs Up," 29 
Simple Deferred Orders, 21 
Simple Orders, 16 ff, 20 
" Simple Simon," 14^ 
" Sing a song of sixpence," 148 
Singing Games, 162, 163 
Singing the Scale, 62 
Sitting Postures, 126 
Skipping, 134 
Slanting Writing, 270, 271 
Sleep, 120 

Sleeping Positions, 128 
Slide, Foot, 175 
Sliding, 173 
Sliding Board, 174 
Smelling, 38 
Snails, 258 

"Snake" (game), 180 
Snakes, 263 

" Sneeze on Monday," 158 
Snow, 253 

Social Intercourse, 85 
Soil, 254 

" Solomon Grundy," 158 
297 



Index 



" Some little mice," 144 

Songs, 160 ff 

Sorting Books, 33 

Sorting Miscellaneous Articles, 

33 

Sorting Papers, 22 

Sound, 240 

Sounding Words, 276 

Speaking and Listening, 80 

Spectrum (painting), 196 

Speech, 100 ff 

Speed, XXX ff 

Speed and Nervousness, xxxiii 

Spelling, 276 

Spices, 236 

Spider, 261 

Spirit, xxii 

Sponge, 258 

Spools (paper work), 208 

Spring Board, 175 

Squirrel, 266 

" Stage Coach," 76 

Stammering, 102, 103 

Standing Positions, 126 

Stars (paper work), 213 

Stars, 237, 252 

Star Fish, 258 

Stationery, 237 

Stilts, 17s 

Stomach, 233 

Stories, List of, illff 

Story Telling, xxv 

" Stranger in Town," 57 

String Work, 209 ff 

Stuttering, 102, 103 

St. Valentine's Day, 214 

Sugar, 236 

Sun, 237 

Sun and Moon (drawing), 
200 

Swing, 175 

Syllabus of Information Les- 
sons, 230 ff 



Table (paper work), 202 
Table Manners, go 
Tag,_ 179 
Tasting, 36, 37 
Tattling, 29 

Teapot (modeling), 193 
Teeter, 176 
Teeth, 232 

care of, 122 
Temper, xxvii, xxviii 
Ten Pins, 181 
Tent (paper work), 204 
Thanksgiving, 212 
" The house that Jack built," 

149 
" The lion and the unicorn," 146 
" The man in the moon," 146 
" The moon is round," 58 
" The north wind doth blow," 

152 
" The Queen of Hearts," 157 
" There was a crooked man," 

152 
"There was a little man," 159 
" There was a man in our 

town," 146 
" There was an old woman," 

147 
" There was an old woman," 

154 
Thermometer, 252 
" Thirty days hath September," 

242 
" Thirty white horses," 68 
" This little pig," 231 
Thousand-legs, 261 
Threading Needle, 73 
Threats, xxiv, xxviii 
" Three children sliding," 156 
" Three wise men of Gotham," 

146 
Throat, 232 
Thunder, 253 



298 



Index 



Tigers, 266 

Time, 241 

Time Limit, xxxi ff 

Timely Topics, 91 

"Time to rise" (song), 168 

Toads, 2(i2 

Toeing Out, 127 

" Tom he was a piper's son," 

144 
Tools (drawing), 200 
Toys, 178 

Transportation, 247 
Trapeze, 175 
Tray (paper work), 207 
Trees, 257, 258 
Trolley, 175, 176 
Trough (paper work), 206 
Tug of War, 136-137 
Tuning a String, 62 
Tuning Glasses, 61 
Turtle, 263 
"Twinkle, little star" (song), 

165 
" Two Pigeons flying high," 
236 

Understanding and Counting, 

Unselfishness, 81 
Untangling a Snarl, 74 
Upright Position, 125, 129 
"Useful" (song), 167 
Utensils, Kitchen (drawing), 
200 

Vegetables, 235 



Vegetables (drawing), ig8 
Veins, 232 

Vertical Writing, 270, 271 
Violet (painting), 195 
Voice, loi 

Walking, 132 

Wallow, A, 175 

Washboard (paper work), 203 

Washington's Birthday, 215 

Water, 235 

Weather, 91 

Weighing, 41 

Weights, Measure of, 244 

Weight, Table of, 123 

Whale, 262 

Whales, 265 

" What Animal is it? " 61 

" What are little boys made 
of?" 157 

What Do You Hear? 59 

What Makes the Sound ? 60 

Whispering in Company, 99 

"Who killed Cock Robin?" 
154 ff 

Who Speaks? 60 

Willow Plate, 236 

Wind Mill (paper work), 207 

Window, Stained Glass (paint- 
ing), 196, 197 

Wrapping Book, 214 

Writing Position, 273, 274 

Wolves, 266 

Woolen Cloth, 234 

Worms, 258 



299 



